Imprinted
by Violet2389
Summary: Melanie's world is turned upside down when she falls for a wolf with a bad temper. Follows along the Twilight saga books-all four books will be posted in this story page. OC. Currently being rewritten!
1. Chapter 1: First Sight

**I'M REWRITING THIS.****If you've read it before, there won't be any MAJOR changes (until "Eclipse"), I'm mostly just fixing up grammatical errors and certain situations that I didn't like very much.**

**If you're new to the Imprinted family, I welcome you with open arms, and hope you enjoy it! You're in for quite a ride!**

**Imprinted**

**Chapter 1: First Sight**

It was lunch at our small school. It would have been any normal day, except we had a new student join or student body. Her name was Bella Swan. She was pretty, long brown hair; she was slim, maybe around the same height as me. Mike Newton was babbling to her about our school. Good, maybe she would take some of his attention off of me. I did feel a bit bad for her; I mean I knew how annoying Mike could be. She seemed to already be able to sense how annoying he was. He was quite probably one of the most annoying boys at Forks High.

She was unsurprisingly looking at the Cullens' table. The Cullens were a family who kept to themselves. They were all really nice; they just stuck together in the school. They didn't really speak to anyone except each other. I sat beside one of them, Jasper, in English class. He never really spoke to me, but when he did he was never rude-he was always a gentleman.

"Who are they?" Bella gasped.

"The Cullens," Angela said, smiling.

"The big burly guy with the dark hair is Emmett. The gorgeous blonde girl beside him is Rosalie; they're sort-of together. The tiny dark haired girl is Alice. Beside her with the blonde hair is Jasper, they're together, too," I explained.

"Oh," She said. "Who's the one with bronze hair-the boyish looking one?"

"That's Edward," Jessica said, blushing scarlet. Jessica had tried to date Edward numerous times, always to be shot down.

"Is he…with anybody?" Bella asked, seeming to choose her words carefully.

"Not that I know of," I said.

"But, don't waste your time," Jessica said, a tone of acidity in her voice. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her. Jessica got jealous _very_ easily. "He doesn't date. Or, he's never shown any interest in any girls here."

"Who knows, you might be an exception, Bella," I giggled. "He's looking at you."

She glanced over at the Cullens' table, and dropped her gaze immediately.

"Mel, don't give her hope," Jessica said loudly-and very rudely.

"Hey, just because none of _us_has caught his attention, it doesn't mean Bella won't," I said. "Why do you always have to do that? Crush everyone else's hopes." She glared at me, but I didn't care. She was being an outright bitch, and it pissed me off.

The bell rang, and I went off to gym. Joy. My least favourite class, especially since it was co-ed and Coach Clapp didn't care about er…girl problems. Once I got to the change room, I realized I had forgotten my gym clothes.

"Does anyone have an extra set of clothes?" I asked the room.

All the girls shook their heads.

_Great_.

I left the change room, to face Coach Clapp. I knew he would give me hell for this.

"Coach?" I asked coming up behind him.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning. He smiled when he saw me. "What can I do for you today, Harmen?"

"I forgot my gym clothes," I said.

"You'll just have to sit out then," he said gruffly.

"Will do," I muttered. I sat on the bench, and watched everyone play volleyball. When Eric Yorkie got hit in the head, I almost fell off the bench laughing at him.

When the bell rang, I headed to English. This was the class I sat with Jasper in. He never really said anything, but when he did, he made just about every girl swoon. His velvety, slightly southern drawl made girls want him even more.

I sat down next to him. He was intoxicating. His golden curls, mysterious look. Alice was very lucky. He was smiling to himself over something. Who knew what it was? Who knew what was going through his mind? I sighed, thinking about having to work after this. I put my head down on my desk, wishing that I worked in Forks instead of La Push. It was such a drag to drive all the way down there for my shifts.

But, working in La Push _did _have its perks. The boys there were very good looking, maybe if I was lucky I'd see that cute Quileute boy. Paul, I think his name was. I hoped he would ask me out. I mean, every time he saw me, he'd look at me like I was the most important thing, and we hadn't even said three words to each other!

Whatever. All the Quileute boys were pretty damn hot. I got some pretty nice eye candy working down there.

I stared up at the clock, willing for it to go faster, now anticipating my trip down to La Push. I was actually excited to go; the prospect of seeing Paul had made me impatient

Suddenly, I felt calm. A wave of relaxation came over me. I glanced around; no one in the room noticed anything different.

"Did you feel that?" I whispered to Jasper.

"What?" he asked, hint of amusement in his voice.

"Never mind," I muttered, feeling like a complete dumbass.

When the bell finally rang, I practically jumped out of my seat and went out to the parking lot. I was glad to be the first one out of the parking lot for once. It was always annoying to have to wait in the long line of people eager to get out. It always felt like such a waste of time. I made my way down the highway, going down the familiar route to the little grocery store where I worked as a cashier. I blasted my radio to keep myself from going crazy.

Okay, I'll admit it. I _really_ wanted to see Paul again. He was irresistible. Something about him just made me _want_him. It was so weird, since we had only seen each other a few times. But I wanted him. We had probably only said about five words to each other so far, but something about him drew me to him.

Yeah, I felt a bit obsessive, but it was okay. I might be borderline crazy, but I was definitely fine with that if I got to see Paul.

I pulled into a parking spot reserved for employees, and pulled on my apron over my school clothes. I stuck my name tag on, and went into the store.

"Hey, Johnny!" I called to my boss, who was in the back room.

"Hey Mel, I need you to stay late today," he said.

"Why?" I groaned.

"Liz couldn't come in," he explained. "I'll pay you extra; you know I always do when you have to stay late."

"Fine," I said, the prospect of getting paid extra had sweetened the deal quite a lot more for me. "What time am I leaving?"

"Eleven?"

"You're lucky I don't have homework this weekend," I grumbled.

I went behind my cash register, and flicked on the light, signaling I was open. Customers can literally be some of the most annoying people on the planet. They're either rude, or don't have enough money to pay for something, and have to sort through every single item to find out what they can and can't pay for. I sighed when I didn't see Paul anywhere, and it was seven o'clock. I groaned, hoping he'd show up. Having to stay late was no fun without seeing the highlight of my day. Soon it was eight o'clock. And then it was nine. As ten-thirty rolled around, I was upset. It was ten-thirty at night; I knew he wouldn't be coming around.

I was checking to make sure I had enough bags, when I heard a voice at the register.

"Excuse me?" asked a familiar, slightly husky voice.

I almost hit my head standing up straight again. Immediately I felt my face flush as he had probably witnessed my moment of clumsiness, but it was okay. My day was complete-Paul was here now.

"Hi," I smiled shyly at him.

He returned my smile. "You're here late today."

"Yea, another cashier couldn't come in." I said. "Are you buying anything?"

"No, I was just looking around," he said. "I was hoping to see you tonight." I felt my smile widen at him. "I was wondering if I could I buy you a coffee or something when you get off?"

"I'd love that." He grinned at me. I glanced at my watch. "I get off in five minutes. My car is parked out back. It's the blue Matrix. I'll meet you out there, okay?"

"Alright," he said. "I'll see you soon."

I clocked out, but before I left, I at least had to thank Johnny.

"Thanks Johnny," I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

"For what?" he asked, surprised.

"For making me stay late. I'll get some extra cash…and maybe even a boyfriend," I smiled.

"Then you're welcome," he said. "I would give you tomorrow off, but I can't. I'll give you Sunday."

"That would be great. Thanks again, Johnny. See you tomorrow," I went out the back door to see Paul leaning against my car.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I smiled, thanking myself that I remembered to take the time to do my make-up today.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, know any good coffee shops down here?" I asked, unlocking the car doors, and sliding in the driver's seat.

"Yeah, there's one off the main road," he said, getting into the passenger seat. "It's a family restaurant."

"Will it be open?" I asked.

"They're always open," he said, trying not to laugh-like I was missing out on some joke- as I started the car.

"Okay. Give me directions," I said.

"You can't miss it. When you leave the parking lot, turn left. Keep driving until we hit it."

I followed his instructions, and he was right. Impossible to miss and they were open. I sighed, annoyed at the fact that he had been right. I turned into the parking lot, and found a space close to the door. When we went inside, Paul led me to a cozy table in the corner, and went up to the counter to order our coffees. He came back a few minutes later, with two cups of steaming coffee. He slid next to me, and put a cup in front of me.

"Thank you," I said. Suddenly, I got a chill. I shivered.

"Cold?" Paul asked, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Not anymore," I smiled.

The rest of the night was wonderful. We talked for a good hour, until my phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was my mom. _Great_.

"Hello?" I asked, detaching myself from Paul's arm.

"Melanie. Where are you?" she asked, sharply and angrily.

"Johnny made me work late tonight…" I said.

"And you didn't call?" she asked. "And, I know the store closes at eleven. Where have you been the past hour?"

"A friend asked me to have coffee with him," I explained. "Mom. Chill. It's not like I'm walking the streets alone, I'm with someone in a coffee shop. I'll be home soon, okay? And I don't have school tomorrow anyway, so just calm down, okay?"

"Be home soon. No later than two. Got it?"

"Yeah, whatever you say," I said, hanging up. "Sorry about that." I said to Paul.

"Do you have to leave?" he asked, putting his arm around me again, clearly showing he did _not_ want me to leave just yet. I was totally fine with that. I didn't want to leave either.

"Not yet. I don't have to be home till two."

"Good," He whispered into my hair. "I wasn't ready to let you go yet." I felt my face heat up. I leaned into him, just resting my head on his shoulder. "When can we see each other again?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "But I'll give you my number." I wrote it out on a napkin. "I should probably go, my mom sounded pretty pissed at me." Paul's face dropped immediately, so I tried to soften the blow. "Call me tonight."

"Will you pick up?"

"Yes," I promised.

He perked up immediately. "Okay. I'll call you later then."

"Do you want a ride home?" I asked.

"Nah, I can walk," He said.

"It's cold, and raining," I pointed out.

"I don't live very far from here, it's fine," He said with a grin.

"Are you sure?" I asked, leaving the restaurant with him.

"Yes, I'm sure," he said, walking me to my car.

I leaned against the driver door, looking into his dark eyes. "I had a really nice time tonight, Paul."

"Me too," he said, leaning into me, he bent his head, and brushed his lips against mine. And then he whispered, "Goodnight Mel."

"Goodnight Paul," I said, getting in my car.

_Wow_.

I watched Paul walk onto the sidewalk, but after that he disappeared into the darkness. I started my car, and started driving home. My brain was still clouded from tonight's events. It was hard to concentrate on driving when thinking about Paul, but I managed to get home.

When I got there, my cloud of bliss was ruined.


	2. Chapter 2: The Beach

Chapter 2-The Beach

"Where were you?" Mom demanded the second I walked in the door. I sighed. This would definitely _not_ be a pleasant conversation.

"I was with a friend," I said calmly, pouring myself a glass of orange juice.

"Which friend?"

"Paul."

"You've never said his name before," she accused. "Who is he? Why do I not know him? How old is he?"

"He lives in La Push," I said, gritting my teeth. "And he's my age."

"So, you were out with a boy you've just met all night?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Look, how could I not meet someone working at a _grocery store_?" I asked. "I'm sorry I didn't call, I just got caught up. I'm sorry."

"Fine," she said, storming up to her room.

I watched her go. If I wasn't having boy problems, I was having Mom problems. That had been brutal. She normally wasn't like that with me, I had no idea what had gotten into her tonight. I finished my glass of juice, and went upstairs, where I plopped down on my bed. Not only had I got to see Paul tonight, I had got to go on a date with him. And, a totally unexpected bonus, he had kissed me! I felt like a giddy schoolgirl. I was elated. I smiled up at my ceiling as my phone vibrated. I felt a flutter of excitement in my stomach, he was calling!

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey," said a very familiar, deep, husky voice that made my heart just about melt.

I smiled into the phone. "So you got home okay?"

"Oh no, there are so many thugs down here in La Push, I almost didn't make it," he said sarcastically.

"Very funny," I said, rolling my eyes. I couldn't keep the idiotic grin off my face. I heard his laugh, and it made me feel even giddier. We were quiet for a bit, until he broke the silence.

"Was your mom mad at you?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, not wanting to go into too much detail about it. "But it's okay."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, she isn't going to stop me from going out on a Friday night," I said.

"Speaking of going out," he began. "I really had a good time tonight; maybe we could do it again sometime-on your turf?"

I felt my face split into a grin. "I'd love that. When are you free next?"

"Anytime," I could hear the smile in his voice, and it made my smile get wider-if that was even possible.

"Well, I have to work tomorrow, but I could meet you before work. I start at five. And I have Sunday off."

"Can I have you both days?" he asked.

"Of course." Something about the way he had said that had made my stomach flutter in excitement. _Can I have you both days?_

"Where do you want to meet tomorrow?" he asked.

"There's a diner near my house. How about we meet there at noon?" I asked.

"Sure, just tell me how to get there." I gave him the directions. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Goodnight Paul," I said.

"Goodnight Mel," he said.

I hung up, and lay back on my bed. I smiled at my ceiling, too happy for words. I slipped into my pajamas, turned off the light, and fell into bed, falling right asleep.

I woke up at eleven thirty. I panicked. I jumped out of bed and ran a brush quickly through my black hair, pulled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweater. No time for a shower. I put on a bit of make-up, and made it out the door with only five minutes to spare. I jumped in my car, and sped to the diner. Paul was already in a booth when I got inside. I sat across him, flustered.

"Sorry," I said, breathless.

"It's okay, you weren't very late," he smiled at me.

I felt my face heat up, so I hid behind my menu. Why was I so nervous around him?

"What are you having?" I asked, looking over my menu at him.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe a burger. You?"

"Maybe pasta," I said. "This gnocchi looks good." He laughed. "What's funny?" I asked, feeling like I was missing something.

"Oh, nothing," he said, trying to bite back his laughter. I rolled my eyes at him. When the waitress came over, Paul ordered his burger, and I ordered my gnocchi, sticking my tongue out at him as I did it.

"Have you gotten bigger?" I asked, eyeing his arm. It looked like he had grown muscles overnight! He looked _ripped_.

"Yeah, maybe weightlifting in gym is paying off," he said with a wink.

"No, seriously, your arm wasn't that big last night."

"That is weird," he said; there was suddenly a serious edge to his voice that I didn't like. I looked at him, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes, and it scared me. He actually looked afraid…or nervous about something.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he smiled, but I could still see the flash of fear in his dark eyes.

The waitress came over with our food, then. "If there's anything else you need, just call me," she said, with a waitress-y smile.

"Thank you," I said, sending a small smile her way. Paul made a face at my pasta. "What?"

"How can you eat that?" he asked, taking a monster-sized bite out of his burger.

I laughed. "How do you manage eat that big of a bite, and still be able to talk?"

"It's a talent," he said, barking out a laugh. I popped some gnocchi into my mouth "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," I said with a shrug. "Did you?"

"Yeah, I guess," he said, taking another bite out of his burger while I popped some more gnocchi in my mouth. We ate in silence for a bit, but I could feel his eyes on me. I could also feel my face heat up. Something was bothering him, but I couldn't place what it was. It was making me worried. I checked my watch, relieved that it was only one o'clock.

"Have you ever been down to First Beach?" Paul asked me.

"No. I've always wanted to go, though," I said. It wasn't a lie either, I had always wanted to go there, but I had just never gotten around to it.

"Why don't we go?" he offered. "You'd be down in La Push before you start work, so you wouldn't have to drive as far."

"I'd love that," I said.

"I'll drive," he said.

"Okay, but I'll have to drive my car to my house first," I said. "You could follow me there."

"Sure," he said.

I pulled my wallet out to pay for our meals, but he pushed it away, rolling his eyes at me. He left the money on the table, and we left the diner. I got into my car, and started it. I made sure Paul was following me before turning out of the parking lot. I drove the familiar way to my house, constantly checking my rear view mirror to make sure Paul's black Celica was following me. I pulled into my driveway, and got out. Paul was parked out on the road; I was almost to his car, when my dad's voice called me from the backyard.

"Mel, why don't you park your car in the garage?" he asked, then saw the black car at the end of our driveway. "And who is this?"

"My friend," I muttered.

"He looks like a guy," my dad noted.

"Please, don't embarrass me," I begged.

"Me? Embarrass you?" he teased. "So, am I going to be allowed to meet this mystery boy?"

"Nope," I said. "Not yet at least."

"Come on," he said. "Where's he from?"

"La Push," I said, giving him the shortest answers possible.

"Oh, a Quileute boy?" he said. "I might work with his dad."

"I highly doubt that someone from the reservation works in Forks," I said.

"You work down there," he reminded me.

Crap. "Please dad? Could you please wait to meet him at least?" I begged. "He's taking me down to First Beach."

"Fine," he said. "You better not be late for work, though."

"I won't," I promised.

"See you later," he said.

"Bye Dad," I called, over my shoulder, getting into Paul's car.

"Drive, please," I said.

Paul laughed and started his car. "Is that your dad?"

"Yeah," I said, sighing in relief as Paul turned off my street. "He wanted to meet you."

Paul laughed again. "You should've let him."

I glowered at him and he rolled his eyes, I could tell he was teasing me.

"We're almost there," he said.

"Good," I said with a smile.

"Excited?" he asked, amusement lacing his tone.

"No, my legs are cramping, you have absolutely no room in here!" I teased. "How do you fit?"

"Years of practice," he said, boyish grin lighting his face.

Man, that smile made me melt. He pulled into a small parking lot, and I looked out at the ocean. It was gorgeous; a deep blue, which would come from a stormy day, but it wasn't ugly at all.

"This is first beach?" I gasped.

"Yeah," he said. "Why are you so shocked?"

"Because, people at my school always say how California beaches are so much prettier." Jeez, thanks Mike. "I've seen pictures of California, I like this better."

"Alright, then," he said, getting out of his car, I followed suit. "I'm glad you like it."

He walked me to the beach, and pulled me down with him as he sat down. We both stared out at the water for a bit. I was just drinking in how gorgeous it was. I shivered. The beach may be beautiful, but it was _cold_.

"Cold?" Paul asked, seeming to read my mind.

"Very," I replied. He put his arm around my shoulders.

"Better?" he asked, smile in his voice.

"Much," I said with a smile.

I looked up at him; he looked like he wanted to say something more.

"What is it?" I asked.

He smiled down at me. "Nothing important."

We sat looking into the water for a bit. Well, _I_was looking into the water, Paul seemed to be either looking at me, or looking around him.

Finally, I had to ask. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, glancing behind him again.

"You're jumpy," I accused.

"It's not-" he started, then decided against it, knowing I would fight him if he denied. "Can I tell you something?"

He sounded really serious. "Yes." I said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Do you know Sam Uley?" he asked.

I thought about it. "Yeah, I think so. I think he comes into the store sometimes."

"Well, he has this 'gang,' right now it's just him and this old friend of mine, Jared. But, he keeps…looking at me," Paul explained.

"Looking at you?" I asked, stomach tightening nervously. "How?"

"It's weird, it's like he's thinking 'you're next' every time he sees me," Paul sounded scared. "Jared…he was normal before Sam got to him-I don't know what's changed. He and I-we used to be really close, but then it's like a switch turned off inside of him."

"It's okay." I tried to soothe. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"Thanks Mel," he said, but he didn't sound convinced. To tell the truth, neither did I, but I didn't want to upset Paul by asking him anything else. I checked my watch, and sighed.

"What is it?" Paul asked.

"I have to get to work," I said.

"I'll drive you," he said, pulling me up to my feet. We walked to his car, but before he unlocked it, he did something that surprised me. He pulled me closer to his chest, and bent his head to my level. He brushed his lips against mine, but this time, the kiss lasted longer. When we broke apart, he unlocked the car doors. I got in the passenger side of the car, feeling the teeniest bit light-headed. I also felt like a giddy school girl, but that's okay. He brought these feelings out of me.

He drove me to the grocery store, where I unfortunately had to leave him for another day.


	3. Chapter 3: Fever

Chapter 3-Fever

Work absolutely _dragged_.

Customer after customer came to me with their problems. The saying: "the customer is always right," really isn't accurate at all. Dealing with people was the worst. They either don't know what they're buying, or they don't have the cash to pay for it. It's irritating.

"Excuse me?" asked a female voice from behind me when I was going back to my register after my break.

"Yes?" I asked, turning to face her.

"Do you know where the dog treats are?" she asked, obviously trying to mask a smile.

"Aisle seven," I replied.

"Thank you," She said. She was pretty, and she looked like a very kind person. She had the tanned skin and dark hair that matched Paul's-and basically everyone else who lived on the res.

"You're welcome." I went back to my register, and turned the little light on, signaling I was available. After that, work dragged even _more_.

Finally, after pleading with Johnny, he let me leave earlier than scheduled. When I walked out of work, I went to go to my car, but remembered Paul had driven me here. He was nowhere in sight. I thought about calling him, but for once it wasn't raining and it wasn't very cold, so I decided to walk. After ten minutes, I realized that I should've called Paul. It _was_cold and I was shivering. I looked around me, and wondered if I was lost. I kept walking the way I thought I should be going, when my phone vibrated.

"Hello?" I said, through chattering teeth, without even checking the call display. I was too cold to both checking.

"Mel? Where are you?" asked Paul. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine; I got off work early, and decided to walk home," I said.

"Where are you? I'll come pick you up," I could hear worry in his voice.

"I'm not sure," I said, looking around. It was no use; it was too dark to see.

"How long have you been walking?" he asked.

"About ten minutes," I said. "I think I'm walking in the direction of Forks."

"I'll drive around looking for you, okay? Stay where you are."

"Okay."

"Bye Mel."

"Bye Paul," I said, hanging up.

I sat down on the side of the sidewalk. I was cold and I was shivering. I knew I should've just called Paul right when I finished work. I felt raindrops on my head.

_Great._

"Hi," said a man's voice from behind me.

I turned. And saw a Quileute boy-no, not a boy, a Quileute _man_ behind me.

"Hi," I said. Immediately warning bells rang in my head; I was alone out here. What if this man tried something on me? I hugged my jacket tighter around myself.

"You look like you could use some help," he said with a smile.

"Actually I'm waiting for someone to come rescue me," I laughed-I could hear the nervous edge in my voice.

"I'm Sam Uley." I froze and I felt my stomach drop. How had I not recognized him? I had seen him in the store numerous times-he wasn't easy to forget. Then, I remembered how scared of him Paul had looked at the beach today. "Let me give you a ride at least?"

"I really should just wait for my friend," I objected. "And, I don't want you to have to go through any trouble."

"No, it's fine. And I'm sure you can just call your friend," he said. "Really, it's no trouble at all. You're getting soaked, and it's cold."

I couldn't see a way out of this, but then I saw headlights on the road, and I prayed it was Paul. When he pulled up in front of me, I sighed in relief. He got out of the car right away when he saw Sam and me standing here.

"Sam," He greeted curtly.

"Paul," Sam said in the same tone.

I looked between them, scared they were going to start fighting or something, with the glares they were giving each other. I could practically taste the tension radiating between them. I shivered and got into Paul's car, turning the heat up. I hadn't wanted to stand between the two of them-even though it had felt as though Sam was literally radiating heat.

When Paul got into the car, he looked angry.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just cold," I said. "But I'm warming up now." It was suddenly _really_ hot in the car.

"Sam's not a good character," he said, I could still hear anger lacing his tone.

"I know," I said, looking at Paul. "Hey, you don't look so good, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm just feeling a bit…off," he said.

I touched his arm. "You're burning up! Like, _really_ hot, I think you should go to the hospital."

"No, I'm fine, it's just a fever."

"No, it's worse than a fever," I argued. "I've never felt someone this hot."

"I'll just get you home, and then I'll go to sleep. I promise," He said.

"Are you sure? I could drive you," I offered.

"No, I'm sure. I'll be okay," he said.

I wanted to believe him but I really couldn't.

"Call me when you get home, okay?" I said, as he pulled into my driveway.

"I'll try. But if I don't call, don't worry, I'm probably just going to go straight to bed." He said, smiling weakly.

"Okay, go to bed," I said. "Call me tomorrow?"

"I'll try," he promised.

I kissed his cheek-feeling his scorching temperature, and got out of his car. He drove off when he saw I was in my house. When my dad saw me, he looked like he was going to comment on my soaked hair, and drenched clothes, but he decided against it. I snuck up to my room, so my mom wouldn't see me like this. I was starting to feel a bit nauseous. Wasn't there some flu going around? I thought I had heard some old ladies talking about it in the store today.

Maybe that was what was wrong with Paul.

No, he had been literally _scorching_; surely he would've felt his body temperature that hot. He had been sweating, too. I didn't feel hot, I was actually shivering, and I felt like I was about to puke my guts out. _Lovely_.

I pulled pyjamas on, and lay back in bed. I curled up under my blanket, and tried to calm the waves of nausea rolling through me.

I fell asleep, but when I woke up, I almost didn't make it to the bathroom so I could throw up. I'll spare you the gory details I had to go through. I lay my head on the cool tile floor.

And to think, I had had such a nice day today.

"Mel? Are you okay?" my mom asked me, seeing me on the floor.

"I feel terrible," I groaned.

"Do you want some Pepto?" she asked.

"No, I just want to sleep," I groaned.

"Let me help you to your bed," she helped me up, and helped me into bed. She grabbed a bucket from under the bathroom sink.

"Here," she said, putting it next to my bed. "Just so you don't have to run out of your room all night."

"Thanks Mom," I whispered.

"Try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay," I said, rolling over.

All through the night, I tossed and turned, and…well let's just say the bucket came in handy. When it was morning, I still felt really nauseous, and stayed in bed. My mom came in to check on me once or twice through the day. Then I remembered I had told Paul to call me. I checked my phone, but he hadn't called. I didn't blame him, if he felt as bad as I did, I completely understood.

I fell asleep again, and when I woke up it must have been at least midnight. My stomach growled at me. I was feeling better, and I was _starving_. I crept down to the kitchen, where I found some crackers to munch on, and I poured myself a glass of water. I snuck back up to my room, and took a cautious bite out of a cracker. Nothing came back up, so I figured I was in the clear. I ate the rest of my crackers, and drank the water in one big gulp. Then, I rolled over and fell asleep.

The next morning when I woke up, I didn't want to go to school. I considered asking my mom if I could stay home, telling her I was still sick. When she came into my room, I put my best sick face on.

"Still not feeling good?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"Your dad and I both have to work today, will you be okay to stay here alone?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," I said in my best sick voice.

"Okay, go back to sleep."

I closed my eyes, and waited till I heard both cars leave, before I got out of bed. I padded around my house, looking for something to do. There was absolutely nothing. I thought about calling Paul, but I figured if he was sick, he wouldn't want to be bothered. I sighed, and plopped on the couch, channel surfing. I found some reruns of _Lost_ playing, and decided I could live with seeing Sawyer with his shirt off for a few hours.

When my dad came into the house, I smelled food on him.

"Hey Mel, how you feeling?" he asked.

"Is that food I smell?" I asked, stomach growling.

"Sounds like you're better," he commented, laughing.

"Yeah, I'm better," I said. "Food?"

"Here," he said, handing me a bag. I opened it, and inside was chicken soup. I spooned it into my mouth, not caring when it burned my tongue. It tasted _so good_. "Your mom is working late tonight," My dad called to me from the kitchen.

"Okay," I said, not really caring and spooning more soup into my mouth.

"What do you want to do for dinner?" he asked. "Will you want dinner after that soup?"

"Obviously," I said. "And make whatever you want."

"How about some pasta?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, not paying attention. I glanced at my phone for the millionth time. I also considered calling Paul for the millionth time. No. I would just look like a needy girl.

_But, what if something's actually wrong with him, and he needs someone's help?_ A voice whispered in my head.

Then he'll call someone, surely he knows how to dial 9-1-1.

I sighed, what if something was wrong with him? I had to call him. I dialed, and it went straight to voice mail.

"Hey Paul, its Mel…I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay, I had some sort of stomach flu, or something, but I'm better now. Call me when you can."

I finished my soup, and tried to concentrate on the island drama in _Lost_-it didn't work I couldn't concentrate on it_._ An hour later I could smell pasta and sauce cooking. I wandered into the kitchen, where my dad was pouring sauce onto pasta in two plates.

"I was going to bring it in to you," he said.

I smiled, sitting at the table. "It's okay."

We ate in silence for a few minutes.

"How's Paul?" he asked, hiding a smile.

"Good," I said. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," he said innocently. _Too_ innocently. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he laughed at me. When we finished, I put my dad and my plates in the dishwasher.

"I'm going to go upstairs, and study or something," I said. "Thanks for dinner."

"No problem," he said, smiling.

I went up to my room, and stared at my phone. Why was I psyching myself out with this? I should just leave him alone, and let him get better. Unless he was avoiding me, in which case I'd be super pissed. Why would he have any reason to avoid me? I would march down to wherever he lived, and demand to know what his problem was.

I groaned; I was torturing myself. I hopped in the shower, and let the hot water cascade over me, loosening my stiff muscles.

When I got out, I checked my phone, and my heart lifted when I saw that I had received a text from Paul.

**Hey, still not feeling good, I think I might have mono or something. I'll try to talk to you soon.**

Mono? Don't you get mono from kissing people? Maybe I had had mono? No, I think it lasts longer than one day.

I tried not to wonder who else he would've been kissing. I tried, but I really didn't succeed. It was hard to stop my mind from wandering and thinking about just that.


	4. Chapter 4: Answers

Chapter 4: Answers

By the end of the week, Paul _still_ hadn't contacted me. I wasn't sure if it worried or annoyed me more-but to be honest at this point I was more annoyed than worried. It made me think that he was avoiding me. I didn't want to think like that, but I couldn't help it. I had no idea why he'd be avoiding me…but I didn't like it.

I had been texting and calling him a few times throughout the week, only to get no reply or his voicemail. I had left him a few voicemails, but most of the time I would just hang up in frustration.

"Mel?" Mike asked, snapping me out of my reverie.

"What?" I asked. I had noticed that I had been quite a bit snappier this week than normal.

"Do you want to go to First Beach next Saturday?"

_First Beach…_memories of my first time there assaulted my brain, and a wave of sadness washed over me. _Why haven't you called me? Why? What did I do?_

"Sure," I said to Mike, mind in other places.

"We're meeting at my parents' sporting goods store at eight, that okay?"

"Perfect," I mumbled, still not paying much attention.

If I didn't hear from Paul by tonight, I would haul my ass down to La Push and find out what his problem was. I mean, if he had wanted to break up with me, shouldn't I know about it? Shouldn't I get an explanation as to why he was breaking up with me? Didn't I deserve that?

As the bell rang, I went to gym. Thankfully Coach Clapp was absent, so I just skipped the class. I sat out in my car, thinking about what I'd say to Paul when I saw him. After deliberating for the entire period…I still wasn't sure. English was _brutal_. It went by as slowly as it possibly could. Even Jasper, who was normally always calm and patient, seemed to be antsy. I let my thoughts wander back to Paul for what must have been the millionth time today. How would I be able to wait to see him until tomorrow? I had no idea, but I had to. I didn't want to seem pushy, but I had to know what was going on with him.

I didn't want to think this, but I couldn't help but think that he had found another girl, and was just avoiding me to make it easier on him.

_No_. I pushed the thought out of my head. Paul was _not_ like that…was he?

He surely would have called to at least break it off with me…wouldn't he?

"Melanie?" called the teacher from the front of the room.

"Yes?"

"Do you know the answer?"

_Oh shit. _I made myself look like I was thinking hard about it.

"Macbeth," Jasper whispered from beside me.

"Macbeth?" I answered.

"Correct," he said, pursing his lips.

"Thank you," I whispered to Jasper.

"No problem."

When the bell finally rang, I jumped out of my seat, eager to get out of school. I practically ran out to the parking lot and into my car. I wanted to beat everyone out of the parking lot, so I wouldn't be stuck in the long line-up there always was to get out. Even though Johnny had given me tonight off, I found myself turning down the familiar road that led to La Push.

It wasn't on purpose, promise…

Once I got to La Push, I realized that I had absolutely no idea where Paul lived, so I decided I would just drive around a bit until I saw him. After about twenty minutes, it started pouring, and I was beginning to lose hope. But then, I saw a familiar body walking down the street. He only had on a thin t-shirt and a pair of shorts like the ones I'd wear in gym. How was he not freezing?! I was freezing with my jacket and scarf on! I pulled over and got out of my car.

"Hey!" I yelled over the rain, slamming my car door. Paul turned around to face me, and his expression scared me. He looked cold and distant. "I thought you were sick! You could have at least answered my calls, to let me know you were alive!"

"Mel…you should leave," he said without any emotion.

"What?"

"Go away," he said forcefully. He may be trying to hide his emotions, but I didn't mistake the angry set of his jaw. What the hell was going on?

"What the hell happened to you?" I demanded. He didn't say anything, just watched me, with a very carefully composed blank expression. "You could have at least called me to tell me it was over."

"Maybe I don't want it to be over," he said; I could hear the anger in his voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"Mel, just go. You should leave. It isn't safe for you here," he said. "Go."

I stared up into his eyes. Behind the mask of blankness, I saw _my _Paul. He was sad, I could tell. He didn't really want me to go, but he was trying to force me.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Please…just go. I-"

"Paul!" barked a voice from behind him.

I looked around Paul's literally _massive _bicep to see Sam Uley and another Quileute man-who I could only assume was that guy Jared Paul had told me about-standing next to each other.

I met Paul's eyes, putting the pieces together. "Did Sam get to you? What did he do?"

"He's helping me," he said, clenching his jaw.

"No, he obviously isn't. If you aren't going to give me any answers, I'll just get them from _him_." I pushed past Paul and walked right up to Sam, staring him in the eye. "What did you do to him?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," I snapped. "He's been avoiding my calls all week, and the last time I had any contact with him he told me he was sick. And now _you_ are here ordering him around, when just last week he was _scared_ of you."

"Go home, Melanie," Sam tried to order me.

I planted my feet, and cocked an eyebrow at him. "No. I want some answers."

"Like what?"

"Like, how are you just walking around out here with no shirt on? And what is happening to Paul?"

"That isn't for you to know," the man who I assumed was Jared said in a slightly rude tone.

"Don't take that tone with her, Jared," Paul practically growled from behind me. Oh, so I was right, that was Jared.

"There are rules, Melanie," Sam cut in before Paul and Jared got into an actual argument. "You can't know what's going on."

I glowered up at him, not liking what he had said one bit.

"Mel, leave," Paul said from behind me, grasping my arm and turning me around so I was forced to look into his eyes. His eyes were burning into mine, and I knew that he didn't really want me to leave, but he felt like I needed to…but I wasn't going to leave without an answer.

"Paul, I _need_ some answers."

"I _wish_ I could tell you, but I can't. I wish you knew…it would be so much easier that way, but I can't. I'm so sorry."

"Paul!" Sam barked.

"I have to go," Paul said immediately, any emotion wiped clear off of his face.

"So that's it?" I demanded. "That's how you're going to end it with me? Telling me there's something you 'wish' I know but can't tell me? Real nice, Paul, real nice."

"Try to understand-"

"How can I try to understand?!" I demanded. "I can't understand anything about this, because none of you want to tell me!"

"Paul! We have to go. Now," Sam barked out.

"Can you give us a minute?" I demanded, whirling around to face Sam.

"We have to leave," Jared said, annoyance clipping his tone.

"Don't talk to her like that, Jared," Paul snapped.

"Or what?" Jared taunted with an amused look on his face. Paul had an absolutely thunderous look on his face, and he started shaking.

"Paul. Calm down," Sam said, warning clear in his voice, but Paul didn't stop shaking. "Jared, back off."

"What's happening to him?" I asked. "Is he having a seizure?!"

"Stand back, Melanie," Sam ordered. This time, I actually listened to him. Paul was…changing? His whole body seemed to be transforming. I went to take a step towards him, but Sam yelled, "Stand back!" and it made me stop dead in my tracks. I looked at Sam for a long second, and when I looked back at Paul he was gone, and there was a huge grey wolf where he used to be standing. I stood rooted to the spot I was in, frozen with fear, not believing what I was seeing. The giant wolf growled menacingly at Jared and started moving towards him.

"Jared, don't you dare," Sam warned, glaring at Jared's smirk. "Take Mel to Em's. look at her, she's terrified. I'll calm Paul down.

.

"Or what?" Jared taunted. Paul had a thunderous look on his face. He started shaking.

"Paul. Calm down." Sam said, warning clear in his voice. Paul didn't stop shaking. "Jared, back off."

"Is he having a seizure?" I shrieked.

"Stand back, Melanie," Sam ordered, this time I did what he had told me. Paul was…changing? His whole body seemed to be transforming.

"What's happening to him?" I shrieked.

"Stand back!" Sam yelled.

I looked at Sam for a long second, and when I looked back at Paul, he was gone. Or…there was a huge grey wolf where he used to be standing. I stood rooted to the spot, frozen with fear. The giant wolf growled at Jared, moving towards him.

"Jared, don't you dare," Sam warned, glaring at Jared's smirk. "You should take Melanie to Em's. Look at her, she's terrified. I'll calm Paul down."

Jared looked at me and held his hand out. I stared at it, then back at his face, then back at his hand again. I had no idea what he wanted.

He cleared his throat. "Car keys?"

Oh. "They're in the ignition."

"Come on, let's get you warmed up. Can you walk?" he asked.

I nodded, but he put his hand on the small of my back anyway and led me to my car. I looked back at Sam and the wolf…or….was it Paul? Sam had called him Paul, but there was no way that could be him! It was a wolf, not a human being! I got into the car with Jared's help, all the while looking back at Sam and…Paul? I was in shock.

"You know, you're doing really well. Emily fainted when she found out," Jared said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Was that…that was Paul?" I asked.

"Yep," he said, driving my car expertly.

"How?!" I asked, bewildered.

"It's hard to explain, you should get Paul to do it."

"And you…you're a…a wolf, too?"

"Yeah, Sam, Paul and me," he grinned. "All wolves. Best pack in town." He said that last part with a wink.

"Mono?" I asked, raising a brow. "That was the best he could come up with? Really?"

"Don't take that part out on me, it was all him," Jared said, shrugging.

"What's Sam doing now?" I asked, looking out the back window, but we were too far to see them anymore.

"He's probably just talking to Paul, no biggie," he said.

"No biggie," I repeated. We drove in silence until he pulled into the driveway of a small house. "Where are we?"

"Emily and Sam's place," he said. "Don't worry, we won't bite…much." He said the last part with another wink.

"Gee, thanks," I mumbled sarcastically.

"Come on. Em's probably made some food." I followed Jared into the house, but lingered in the doorway. Jared immediately went to the kitchen table where there was a _huge _stack of pancakes and an assortment of fruits.

"Hey!" said a female voice from the kitchen; she hadn't seen me yet-she had her back to me. "Don't eat it all. Save some for your brothers." She turned and I immediately recognized her. She was the woman in the grocery store the other day who had asked me where the dog treats were. How ironic. No wonder she had been trying to mask a smile when asking me for them. "Who's this?"

"Mel," Jared said.

"Paul's Mel?"

"Yep, she just found out, I think she's in shock," Jared said, smirking at me.

"I don't blame her," she said, smiling warmly at me. "Are you hungry?"

"No, not at all," I said quietly.

"You should sit down," she said, coming over to me and leading me to the kitchen table. "I know how big of a shock it is now, but you'll get used to it." She helped me into a chair, and directed Jared. "Is she his imprint?"

"I think so; he hasn't stopped thinking about her," he said, rolling his eyes, but I noticed his gaze linger on my for a few extra moments as if he was making sure Emily got me into the chair okay.

"Thinking about me?" I repeated.

"Pack plural," he said, tapping his head as if I should know what that meant. I looked at Emily, begging her with my eyes for a better explanation.

"When the boys phase, they can read each other's thoughts," she said. "It's how they communicate with each other. Wolves obviously aren't the best communicators."

"Oh."

"Ugh, you should hear him! All he thought about was how much he missed you, but Sam and his damn rules…" Jared complained.

"Sounds like an imprint," Emily said. "Speaking of which, where are they?"

Before shovelling more food into his mouth, Jared said, "Paul phased in front of her. Sam's talking to him."

Emily clicked her tongue, obviously upset about something. At that moment, Paul and Sam strolled into the house. Paul was wearing a new set of shorts and a t-shirt. Sam went right for Emily and pecked her on the lips. I looked down at the plate Emily had put in front of me when I wasn't paying attention. I wasn't hungry at all; any appetite I may have had vanished at seeing Paul transform into a giant wolf.

I felt a very warm presence behind me, and then Paul murmured, "Can I talk to you?" in my ear. I nodded and stood up as he led me into a bedroom behind the kitchen. I sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at my hands. He leaned against the wall across from me.

"So now you know," he said quietly.

"Now I know," I echoed, keeping my head down.

"I know you probably think this is weird."

I laughed a short, humourless laugh. "Weird doesn't even begin to describe it."

"I know how insane this is," he said, kneeling in front of me, turning my face up to his with his finger. "But I can't help it."

"I know that," I said softly, looking into his eyes. His eyes searched mine, and mine searched his. I didn't know what I was looking for there; it was just a moment of serenity between us. Then, I remembered something. "What did Jared say about an imprint?"

"So he let that slip," Paul said, running a hand through his hair. "An imprint is a sort-of love-at-first-sight thing that happens to us. We see a girl, fall in love, and imprint on them."

"So you've…you've imprinted on me?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. I opened my mouth, but he stopped me from speaking. "I'm not forcing you into anything. If you don't want to be with me, then I don't blame you. I just always need to know that you're safe so I don't go insane."

"I…I need some time," I whispered.

He nodded. "I completely understand that. Take as much time as you need."


	5. Chapter 5: Part of the Pack

Chapter 5: Part of the Pack

That night at home I was lying on my bed, thinking about everything that had happened to me today. I had left Emily's house as soon as Paul and I had left the bedroom. Emily looked surprised and a bit sad to see me leaving, while I couldn't quite place the expression on Paul's face, and I had just ignored Sam and Jared as I had walked out.

I stared up at my ceiling, thinking about what to do. Did I want to be with Paul and deal with the consequences? What _were _the consequences of being with him? Was he dangerous? How would this imprint affect me? Would I be going into something that I had absolutely no idea about?

I didn't know what to do, and I felt torn.

I cared about Paul, I really did. But…this…this imprinting thing-it scared me. Well, the whole wolf thing scared me, but the fact that he would go absolutely crazy without knowing if I was safe…that scared me.

It didn't scare me that he needed to know that, that really wasn't it. What scared me was that I had that much control over him. If anything bad happened to me, it would affect him too. If I got hurt, he'd be affected by it just as I would be.

I blew all the air out of my lungs, unsure of what to do. I weighed out my options.

On one hand, Paul was a really good guy, and he really cared about me. He would be committed to me in a way that no "regular" guy could.

But, on the other hand, was _I_ ready to make such a commitment to him? I was only seventeen years old! I couldn't make a commitment like that so soon…or could I?

No. that would be absolutely insane; Paul wasn't my first boyfriend, so I did have some experience in this area, but was I ready to make the commitment to spend the rest of my life with him? I held my head in my hands-what was I going to do? It was such an odd situation to be in; I had no idea how to go about dealing with it.

I wandered into the bathroom and washed my face. I stared at myself in the mirror. I was scared, and I had no idea what to do. I went back into my bedroom, and flopped onto my bed on my stomach. I buried my head in my pillow and groaned into it. This was such a difficult thing to decide…it was basically my future I was deciding here. If I said yes to him, did that mean we'd be together forever? Or could we end it if we felt the need to, but just keep in contact?

I wanted to be with him, I really did, but was I committing myself to him for the rest of my life? It felt like how I'm sure some women feel upon being asked to get married. I felt as though I was sealing my fate if I said yes to Paul.

Did I want that? I did…but I also didn't.

Somehow, I fell asleep, and when I woke up I was even more confused. I had dreamt that Paul phased in front of me again, but this time he had been too close and had scratched me-bad. I had had to go to Dr. Cullen to get stitched up. Paul had accompanied me to the hospital, but he could barely look at me. He couldn't stand to see what he had done to me.

My head hurt in the morning and I didn't know what to do. I had to go into work, and I was dreading it, because I'd probably be expected to give Paul my answer-I wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

But, I hauled my ass out of bed and got ready to go anyway.

At the store, I went right inside, keeping my head down. I went to my register and started working. It was boring as it was a slow day and there wasn't much to do. None of the guys were wandering around the store, so I could think. I decided I would go see Paul after my shift. That meant that I needed to make a decision ASAP.

By the end of my shift, I knew what I had decided. I drove to Emily's place, where I was sure he'd be. I knocked timidly on the door and was greeted by Emily.

She smiled warmly at me, but I could see the surprise clear in her eyes. "I didn't expect to see you back here."

"Yeah…I can see why," I said, laughing nervously. "Is Paul here by any chance?"

She nodded. "They're just eating, come on in."

I entered the house, and my eyes locked onto Paul's. He had stood up from the table before I had even walked in. wordlessly, he led me into the bedroom we had talked in yesterday. Again, I sat on the bed. It was like everything I had rehearsed saying to him vanished at the mere sight of him. I didn't know what to say. It was like my mind had gone blank.

I heard his deep intake of breath. "So your answer is no."

My head snapped up to look at him. "What?"

"Well, you aren't talking to me, you're nervous, and you'll barely look at me," he said, running a hand through his short hair. "I had expected this. Thanks for at least having the decency to tell me, though."

"Wait-" I said, holding up my hands. "I never said my answer is no."

"But I can tell," he said.

"It's not no," I said quietly.

From where I was sitting I could literally see his eyes light up. He came towards me and knelt in front of me.

"Really?" he whispered, grasping my hands with his, pleading with his eyes.

"Yes really," I said, ruffling his hair with my hand.

He let go of my hands to grasp my face and pull me towards him. He kissed me deeply, and I could feel how much he loved me in that kiss. After we broke apart, we went back out to Emily's kitchen, hand-in-hand, smiling at each other. I heard a groan from Jared.

"Another happy couple," he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice…but I also noticed jealousy tingeing it as well.

"Hey, quit with the sour mood," Emily scolded like a mother. "You'll find somebody, and imprint, one day."

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Whatever you say _Mom._" She playfully smacked the back of his head with a whisk. Sam was sitting across from Jared at the table, shoveling some pancakes into his mouth. Jared leaned away from the table and pushed his plate away from him.

Paul laughed at him. "What? Lose your appetite?"

"Hardy har har," Jared retorted sarcastically. I couldn't help the smile on my face. They really were like brothers.

"Are you guys hungry?" Emily asked.

"Starving," Paul said, leading me to the table.

Emily put a stack of pancakes in front of both of us. I could barely eat two! I gave Paul the rest of my plate.

"Is something wrong with them?" Emily asked worriedly.

"No, they're just so huge, I'm so full," I smiled. Emily looked relieved. The guys were still stuffing their faces.

"Can I help you with anything?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine," she said. "Don't worry."

I was glad today was Saturday, that way I could spend all day tomorrow with him, and after a week without him, I was totally pumped.

"Come take a walk with me?" Sam asked me. I glanced at Emily, who was nodding at me encouragingly, and glanced at Paul, who looked a bit angry and annoyed, but didn't object when I stood up. Thankfully, it had stopped raining. Sam and I went outside and walked down the street for a few minutes without saying anything.

"Melanie, you know about us now," Sam said, finally breaking the awkward silence. I nodded, and he continued. "Nobody can know about this. You are Paul's imprint, which makes you a part of the pack. But, you can't tell anyone about us."

I nodded. "I understand."

Sam stopped walking and looked me in the eye. "I need to know that you will not tell anyone about this."

"I won't," I promised. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Who the hell would I tell?

"There's something else," Sam said. "Paul isn't allowed in Forks."

"Why?" I asked, warning bells ringing in my head.

"That isn't my secret to share," he said.

"Okay…so, he's just never allowed to come where I live?" I asked.

"He's not allowed," Sam confirmed. "There are rules that can't be broken."

"Okay then," I said, looking up at Sam.

He stared down at me. "You're taking this really well."

"I think I'm still in shock," I said, looking out at the beach, which was visible from where we were standing.

"No, you aren't not freaking out," he said.

"That doesn't mean I'm taking this well. I still think that I think it's insane," I sighed. "If that makes any sense at all."

"It does," Sam said.

We were quiet for a bit.

"We should get back," Sam said. "Paul is probably wondering what I've done with you." We walked back to Emily's house, not saying anything. Paul was waiting on her porch. Sam walked by him into Emily's house, and I leaned against the pole on her porch, looking at Paul.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I said. "So, you're not allowed in Forks anymore?"

"Yeah. Pretty much," he said.

I sighed. "So, I can only come to you?"

He smirked, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Just because I'm not allowed to come, doesn't mean I won't." I smiled. "If you ever need me, or you're hurt, or anything." He said seriously. "All you have to do is call me."

"Okay," I said. "Why aren't you allowed in Forks?"

"There's a treaty," he said. "With-"

"Don't you dare, Paul!" barked Sam's voice from inside the house.

"Guess I can't tell you," he smiled.

"It's okay, I understand," I said with a grin.

"Mel, Paul! Come in here and eat!" Emily called from in the kitchen.

_More_food?! I couldn't eat anything else! I threw a desperate look at Paul, asking with my eyes for help, not wanting to offend Emily. Paul pulled me into the house.

"Mel needs to get home," Paul saved me.

"Here, let me wrap something up. How about some muffins for the road?" she asked, smiling warmly at me.

"Sure," I said helplessly.

Paul walked me out to my car, holding my bag of muffins for me.

"I'm glad you know now," he said.

"Me too," I said smiling. He bent his head down to kiss me, and I had to stretch to reach him, to make the kiss last longer. He broke off the kiss, and I got into my car. He handed me my muffins, and leaned down to look at me.

"Be careful," he warned.

I snorted. "What could possibly happen to me in Forks?"

"There are…well, let's just say there are worse things than me out there," he said.

"Like what?"

"I can't tell you," he smiled.

"It was worth a shot, though," I muttered.

He closed my car door for me. I smiled at him, and waved, then, sadly, I drove away. Back to Forks.


	6. Chapter 6: Second Home

**Chapter 6: Second Home**

We were eating muffins for days. Emily had given us a dozen; they were huge! When my dad asked me where I had bought them, and I had told them they were homemade, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock.

"You're kidding!" he accused, taking a bite out of one.

"Nope," I said. "My friend Emily made them."

"Emily?" he asked. "Who's that?"

"She lives down in La Push," I said.

"Oh okay," he said, nodding in understanding.

"Where's Mom?" I asked.

"Upstairs packing."

"Packing?" I asked.

"Yeah, she has some conferences to go to," he said. "She'll be gone for a few weeks."

"Oh wow," I said. "Lucky her."

"Yeah, I think she's going somewhere sunny."

"Then she's even luckier," I said with a sigh.

"Don't even think about trying to go with her," he warned lightly, with a smile on his face. "You have school."

I sighed dramatically before grinning at Dad. My mom came down the stairs hauling a suitcase with her as I was nibbling on a chocolate-chip muffin.

"Need help?" I asked.

"No," she said. "A cab's going to be here soon."

"Okay then," I said. "Want a muffin? We have chocolate-chip, banana nut, carrot, and blueberry."

"I'll have a carrot one, thanks," she said, taking a bite out of it. "Wow, this is delicious. Where did you get these?"

"My friend Emily made them," I said. "She's a great cook."

"She really is," Mom muttered. "Thank her for me."

I nodded and glanced out the window, seeing headlights. "Mom, I think your cab's here."

"Okay," She said. I got up, and gave her a hug.

"Bye mom," I said. "Have fun."

"Bye Mel."

My dad helped her carry her suitcase outside, where I'm sure they had a more…intimate goodbye. Ick. I spent the rest of my weekend down in La Push. It was nice. I got to spend time with Paul. it was as if a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders after telling me what he was and after me saying yes to him.

When Emily heard that my mom was going to be out of town, she wanted to come over and cook every day. I declined, telling her that my dad did most of the cooking anyway. On Sunday night, I knew it would be my last time just hanging out with Paul for a whole day, till the next weekend. He walked me out to the car.

"When can you visit again?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "Since I got this whole weekend off, I have to work all week. And I'm going to need to help my dad out more, too."

He frowned slightly. "I wish I could visit you for once."

I stared up at him, an answer to his wish obvious on my face.

"Sam's strict," he explained. "He's watching me even more now. He knows I would try to cross the border in a second." I looked into Emily's living room window, where I could see the silhouette of a tall figure through the curtain.

I dropped my gaze immediately.

"Hey," Paul said, tilting my face up. "I'll find a way around it; I'll visit you, one day. Maybe Sam will have to be sick or something…you think he'd get sick if he ate chocolate?"

I chuckled. "The way he was wolfing down those chocolate-chip muffins, last week? I don't think so."

"Damn," he said, grin lighting his face.

"You'd know better than I would," I said with a snort.

"I guess you have to go," he said, I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "I guess I do.

He cupped my face in his hand, and bent down to kiss me. Not wanting to break the connection, I put my arms around his neck, playing with the hair at the back of his neck. When he broke off the kiss, I could feel his warmth leave me right away. I sighed, and got into my car. He closed the door for me, smiling a small smile as I drove away.

I hated driving away from him.

As I drove past the "Welcome to La Push" sign, I saw a white blur flash across the road. I slammed on the brakes, and looked around. It was night, and it had started to rain. I looked out all the car windows, and in the review mirror, but I couldn't see anything.

Whatever it was had to have gone into the forest.

My hands were shaking as I started driving again, scared that I would crash into whatever that _thing_was. It had looked strangely human? No, there was no way a human could go that fast. I knew it wasn't a wolf. _Had_ it been a human? No, it wasn't. I must just be seeing things now.

Great, I was crazy now?

No. I knew I had seen something out there. I pulled into my driveway, and got out of my car, still a bit shaken.

"How was Emily's?" my dad asked when I walked in.

"Good," I said, pretending I was completely fine. My voice sounded better than I felt. "Way too much food, but what else is new? I'm going to go shower, then sleep. I'm really tired."

"Sure," he said. "Oh, before I forget. Your mom called. She's in Florida."

"She's so lucky," I sighed, wishing that the sun shone more than just five times a year here.

"I know she is," he laughed.

I went upstairs, showered, and plopped down on my bed, lost in my own thoughts. This weekend had been one of the best weekends I had ever had. Emily's house felt like a second home to me now. Sam and Jared felt like brothers to me in a weird way. Well…Jared more than Sam, of course…Sam was always so…pushy.

I knew he was pack alpha and all, but if Paul said one little thing, Sam would snap at him right away. Jared and Paul tended to just roll their eyes when this happened, muttering something about how I could be trusted with their secrets.

I lay back on my bed, thinking about that white blur on my way home. What the hell had that been?! The more I thought about it, the crazier I thought I was.

I sighed, thinking about having to go to school tomorrow-without Paul. I hated the fact that he couldn't visit me, and that he didn't live here in Forks.

When I woke up, I wasn't exactly sure when I had fallen asleep, but I knew I hadn't had any dreams.

I straightened my long, black hair, and put a bit of make-up on. I figured I looked good enough in jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweater. And if I didn't look good enough-who cares? I hopped in my car, earlier than usual, and drove to school, annoyed at the rain pelting my windshield. I glanced in my backseat, and groaned when I realized I had forgotten my umbrella. Lovely.

I pulled into the school parking lot, and pulled my hood up over my head. Once I got in the school, and realized no one was there, I knew just how early I had left my house. I went into the library, and read for a bit, but Paul, my wolf, wouldn't leave my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a pale figure at the circulation desk. I turned and looked, it was Edward Cullen.

Something about him was oddly familiar, not the fact that I saw him almost every day at school, it was something else. Something was nagging at my brain about him. He turned slightly, to look at me, confusion spread across his face.

I looked away from him, and then gasped quietly.

I know what that blur had been last night. It was Edward Cullen.

How I knew this, I had no idea. But I knew it was him. I glanced back up at him, and he was staring at me, with a hint of anger and confusion on his gorgeous face. I couldn't stop looking at him, no matter how hard I tried; I couldn't break eye contact with him. His golden eyes just held on to mine. He motioned for me to follow him, and I couldn't help but get out of my seat, grab my bag, and follow him to the cafeteria.

"What do you know about me?" he growled once we were standing the hall outside the cafeteria.

"What?" I asked, bewildered.

"How much do you know?" he asked again, gold eyes probing mine.

I stared at him blankly.

"You obviously know about those _dogs_ in La Push," he said, practically spitting the word dogs, disgust lacing his tone. He knew about the wolves? And…how did he know I know about them? "And you saw me last night," he continued, cool edge to his voice. "So, I ask again; how much do you know?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said.

A low growling sound came from deep inside his chest. "You know _exactly_what I'm talking about. I can smell the wet dog on you from here."

"You can smell them?" I asked, jaw dropping.

"Yes, I can smell them," he said, rolling his eyes.

I stared at him, not sure what to say.

"They didn't tell you about me?" he asked I could hear surprise in his voice.

"Are you the reason he can't come in Forks?" I asked.

"Who?" he asked, smirking.

"Any of them, any of the wolves," I said.

"Why, I don't know what you're talking about," he mimicked.

Ah. So he wanted to play like this, did he? "You know _exactly_ what _I'm_ talking about."

He sighed, obviously annoyed. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, my family and I are the reason those _dogs_can't come here," he said.

"What are you?" I asked.

"They didn't tell you?" he asked, surprised.

"No. They said it wasn't their secret to share," I said. "But it _is_ your secret…"

"You're difficult," he said.

"What are you?" I countered.

"What are _you_?" he mimicked.

"An imprint," I answered without skipping a beat. "What are you?"

"I'll be breaking a rule by saying this," he warned. "And not just a rule for those mutts in La Push." I snorted. Yeah, like I was scared. "I'm a vampire." I stared at him, jaw hanging open, for a good five minutes, until I heard a trilling voice behind me.

"Edward!" the voice called.

"Alice," he acknowledged, not taking his eyes away from mine. Alice Cullen had skipped to Edward's side, looking gorgeous with her spiky black hair. She was holding out a piece of paper to Edward, when she saw me.

"Who's this?" she asked in her soprano voice.

"Her name is Melanie," Edward said.

Alice crinkled her nose. "What's that god-awful wet dog smell?"

"That would be me," I said.

She stared at me. "She _knows?_"

Edward nodded curtly.

"_How_?!" she gasped. "Rose will be so upset! Edward, how did you let this slide?"

"He didn't," I interrupted, coming to his rescue. _Remember that, Cullen._ "I'm an imprint, for one of the wolves in La Push. Edward somehow knew that I knew about the wolves, and started interrogating me on 'how much I knew'. When he started asking about that sort-of thing, I sort-of put the pieces together."

"Edward do you know what this means?!" a wide grin spread across her face. He stared down at her.

"Alice, don't even think about it-" he started.

"Too late!" she trilled. "I have a shopping buddy!"

He rolled his eyes. I stared at her, mouth hanging open. She grinned at me. "I'll get over the smell sooner or later. I have a friend, Edward! Don't we have first period together?"

"Yeah, I think so," I said. "Bio, right?"

"Right!" she squealed. "I'll finally get to sit with someone! The seat beside you is empty, right?"

I thought about it. "Yeah, this guy Rob used to sit there, but he switched classes."

She grinned wide at me, and I couldn't help the face splitting grin on my face.

Edward rolled his eyes again. "Aren't you afraid?"

I met his eyes evenly. "No. I'm not. I saw my boyfriend turn into a huge, grey wolf right in front of my eyes. It would take a lot more than you just telling me…" I looked around to make sure no one was around. "that you're a vampire to scare me."

He rolled his eyes again. I glanced at Alice, who was looking over my outfit.

"What?" I asked, looking down.

"You look too…plain," she said, biting her lip. "What are you doing tonight?"

_Hopefully seeing Paul_. I thought. "I have to work."

"Hmmm…what about tomorrow night?" she asked.

"I have to work every night this week," I said with a shrug.

"Okay, Saturday, then. I'll take you shopping," she grinned.

"You really don't have to do that," I objected.

"I want to," she said with a grin. "And trust me, I do have to."

Edward walked away, muttering something that sounded like, "Girls."

"Don't mind Edward," Alice said, taking hold of my arm. I realized just how much taller I was than her. The top of her head came up to my shoulder. She walked with me to class, talking about unimportant things. We were the first ones there, when our teacher left, I couldn't help but ask her about how Edward knew that I knew about that pack.

She giggled. "He can read minds. Most of us have powers. I can see the future, Jasper can manipulate emotions. Cool, huh?"

"Very," I muttered.

I couldn't believe it. Vampires and werewolves existed? This was insane.

And here I was, right in the middle of it.


	7. Chapter 7: Trouble

**Chapter 7: Trouble**

The day went by excruciatingly slow. At lunch I looked over at the Cullens' table, where Alice grinned widely at me as she caught my eye, Jasper was smiling at her, Emmett was grinning-a playful expression on his face, and Edward and Rosalie were scowling. Idly, I wondered if they all knew that I knew about them. Judging from Edward and Rosalie's expressions, I could guess that they did.

When Bella saw Edward, she looked really surprised. I heard her murmur, "I'll just have a soda" from behind me. We sat down at our regular table, and Jessica started giggling wildly. "Edward Cullen is staring at you."

Bella and I both looked up immediately. He was staring at her; I breathed a sigh of relief. Bella looked down immediately. "Does he look mad?"

I laughed nervously, did Bella know too? Did she also know the secret of the Cullens? Did that mean she knew the wolves' secret as well? "No, why would he be mad?"

"No reason," she said quietly.

I glanced at Edward again; there was a small smile on his face. I rolled my eyes at him, and then my phone vibrated in my pocket and when I checked my caller I.D., I couldn't hide my idiotic grin. I got up and went out of the cafeteria, and rushed out to the hallway.

"Hello?" I asked, smiling into the phone.

"Hey," came Paul's husky voice. "How are you?"

"I'm good," I said, then took a deep breath. "I know why you can't come here, now."

There was absolute silence on the other end.

"How did you figure it out?" he asked quietly.

"It's hard to explain," I said, looking around at the crowded hallway.

"Try," he said. "Mel, this is serious."

"I know it is," I hissed. "But, it's just, I can't explain here, in the middle of the school hallway."

"Sam is going to be so angry," he said.

"Why?" I demanded. "What does it matter what I know? Does he think I can't keep a secret?"

"He just knows the consequences. He's scared for Emily knowing, and now I'm scared for you knowing," he said. "Who knows what they could do to you?"

I sighed. "I'll be okay."

"Be careful, Mel," he said. "I worry about you."

"Bye Paul," I said, hanging up. I groaned, and leaned against the wall. I know that I should feel good that Paul was worried about me, but it's not like the Cullens would do anything to harm me…would they?

"Are you okay?" asked a female voice from beside me. I turned to see Bella looking worriedly at me.

I smiled at her. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I could walk with you to the nurse or something."

"No," I reassured her with a smile. "I'm fine."

"You've been really nice to me since I came here," she said, biting her lip.

I laughed. "Everyone has."

"No," she smiled. "Some people are overly nice, it's like they're trying too hard to be nice, because I'm new. You're legitimately being nice to me, I can tell."

I smiled. "I don't really enjoy picking on new students, or making them think I'm being fake when I'm legitimately being nice to them."

"Thank you."

"No problem," I said. "Oh, and if Jessica ever says anything to you that upsets you, don't let it get to you."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," she said. "The girls' washroom is that way, right?"

"Right," I said.

"See you around, Mel."

"Bye, Bella."

Bella walked away to the girls' washroom, and I slid down the wall, sitting on the floor. What was I going to do about Sam? I knew Paul wouldn't have a choice in telling him, and even if Paul didn't tell him, Sam would find out. Well, if I just stayed in Forks, Sam would never be able to get to me. But, I knew there were problems with that.

First: work. I worked in La Push. I wasn't just going to quit because of Sam. Second, Paul. How could I hide out in Forks, when Paul wasn't allowed to come here? Third, Sam would probably still come over the border, rules or no rules. I decided to go out to my car. I figured hiding in there and listening to music would do my brain some good. I leaned back against the seat, smiling to myself as one of my favourite songs came on the radio. There was a small knock on my window; Alice was knocking on the passenger side window, grinning at me. I unlocked the door for her, and she hopped in.

"Nice car," she said.

"Thanks," I said.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I smiled.

"No, you aren't," she pointed out. "Something's bothering you, or you wouldn't be out here in your car."

"You read me well," I said. "Well…I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"My boyfriend's pack alpha," I said quietly. "He knows that I know about you guys now, and he thinks I can't keep the secret."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Sam Uley, right?" I nodded. "He's been that way since he started phasing."

"Oh."

"Want to go shopping?" she asked, grinning.

"Now?"

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well…school."

"I think we both know that you aren't planning on going back in anytime soon, and I can miss a class once in a while."

"I have to be at work by four," I said.

"And you'll make it in time," she promised. "Now, let's switch seats. I'm going to drive." We switched seats, and Alice sped to Port Angeles.

"Oh!" I exclaimed going through my wallet. "I don't have any money! Can we go back to my place?"

Alice grinned. "I saw that coming."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"Because I'm paying for everything you buy."

"No, you can't do that," I objected.

"Yes I can," she said. "And I will."

"What if I don't pick out anything?" I asked smugly.

"I'll just pick out a bunch of stuff for you, and I'll make you try it on," she said. "Oh, and if you tell me nothing fits, I will force you into the clothes in the fitting room." I could tell she was completely serious. There was no way I'd win this one. Alice pulled into the parking lot of a small mall in Port Angeles. Okay, I have to admit it. I had fun shopping with Alice. People were staring at us-well, mostly Alice-through the whole mall, but Alice ignored them. I still didn't like that she paid for everything, seeing as I had just met her, but she picked out amazing clothes for me, that fit perfectly.

I eyed the amount of bags she was stuffing into my trunk.

"Didn't you buy anything for yourself?" I asked.

"Yep, I just put them on hold. I knew there wouldn't be enough room for both of our purchases," she said with a grin. "Where do you work?"

"In a grocery store in La Push."

She pursed her lips. "I can't drive you all the way, then. I'll drive you to the border, but then I have to get out."

"Couldn't you just drive to your place, and then I could drive all the way to La Push?"

She eyed the clock. "We wouldn't make it."

I stared at the clock. I could not believe the time. I rubbed at my eyes; I couldn't be reading it right.

"Fifteen minutes?!" I screeched.

"We'll make it," she tried to soothe.

"No we won't, Alice!" I exclaimed.

"With my driving, we'll make it," she said, and then floored it to La Push.

I gripped the dash board the whole way there. I had a feeling she wouldn't crash the car, but I was still scared for my life. When she whizzed past the "Welcome to La Push" sign, she swore quietly.

"What?" I asked.

"I drove over the border," she said.

"Pull over," I said. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"We don't have time," she said, glancing at the clock that showed I only had five minutes to get to work. "I'll just be really careful, and if they catch me…well, we just won't talk about that."

"What could happen to you?" I asked quietly.

"They might want to start a war," she said.

"But, you were helping me-an imprint," I pointed out. "Couldn't that make a difference?"

"It might," she said, biting her lip.

"I'll see if they're in the grocery store," I said. "They hang out there sometimes. What's your cell number? I'll text you if they're there."

She gave me her number, as she pulled into my parking space.

"Thank you, Alice," I said, smiling at her as she handed me my car keys, and I got out.

"Don't mention it," she said with a wink.

I rushed into work, sending a quick hello at Johnny as I flew past him. I ninja'd my way through the store, trying to find my wolf. I was sneaking around the refrigerated section when I saw them in produce, laughing at each other. I sent a text to Alice: **They're here, you should go.**

The reply came automatically: **Thank you.**

I smiled. My job was done. Well, not in the literal sense, of course. I grabbed a broom, and started sweeping the floors, looking around for Paul. Well, I was mostly looking for Sam, since I was scared of how he would act when he saw me. I avoided them as well as I could, and tried to side-step going to my register.

I had a feeling they would probably be able to sniff me out, but I didn't care very much. So far, they hadn't approached me, and I was hiding in the women's washroom, feigning cleaning toilets. I had a feeling the boys were still in the store, probably waiting around for me so Sam could talk to me. I was _really_ trying to avoid that.

Hmm…I wondered if I just drove over the border, could he _really_ do anything? I could call Alice and ask her to meet me there, bringing Edward or Jasper, of course. That way he would have no choice but to stay on his side.

A wicked grin spread across my face…but then I remembered I had to make it across the border. Surely, he would stop me before that happened. Would he? I mean, if there was a chance of me getting hurt, would Paul let him try and stop me? I hopped up on the sink counter in the bathroom, holding a toilet brush and some cleaner, just so if anyone came in they'd think I was actually working.

I couldn't help but think of ways I could avoid Sam. I didn't want to face him just yet. Then I thought my fears were stupid. Really, what could Sam do? What would Paul let Sam do?

But I knew Paul couldn't disobey his alpha…could he?

Would he disobey Sam for me? I doubted it. I sighed and checked my watch. I guessed I had pretended cleaning toilets long enough. I snuck out the washroom, and snuck over to the produce section. I glanced around, and turned around.

Right into Johnny.

"What have you been doing your whole shift?" he asked, scowling.

"I've been cleaning," I said. "Johnny, this place is totally gross."

"But you're a cashier," he pointed out.

"But this _grocery store_ hasn't been cleaned in god knows how long," I shot back. Johnny and I got along well. He wouldn't fire me for talking back to him. "Look, you don't have to pay me extra, and you don't even have to pay me as much as you normally would." I glanced over his shoulder, to see Paul, Jared and Sam turning a corner towards us. "Crap!" I squeaked, missing what Johnny was saying.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. "Are they giving you trouble?"

"No, I said. I just, I need to, um…" I trailed off, looking around.

"Mel, are those guys trouble?"

I had to think about what to say. "No," I said carefully. "It's hard to explain, but don't kick them out of here. They haven't done anything wrong, okay?"

He pursed his lips. "Fine. But if they give you any trouble, let me know."

"Thanks, Johnny," I said, relieved. I practically bolted from where Johnny was standing to the pet section. I hoped this was the last place they'd look. I couldn't wait until my shift was over.

When my shift _finally_ was over, I ninja'd my way to my car.

I couldn't help but burst out in laughter when I had made it to my car. I had spent my whole shift avoiding three werewolves, and I still got paid for it. I pulled out of my parking spot, and started driving back to Forks. I kept looking around, making sure there was no one walking down the street, shirtless.

That would be a dead giveaway that I was being followed. I kept checking my review mirror, making sure there was no one. When I sailed across where I thought the border was, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. When I walked in the door of my house, my dad was already asleep. I grabbed a snack, and went up to my room. My phone vibrated in my pocket; I didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Melanie," Sam's gruff voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hi," I said, biting my lip, wishing I hadn't picked up and that I could just hang up on him.

"I know you were avoiding us today," he said.

"Why would you think that?" I asked nervously.

"Because anytime you saw us, you'd run the other way," he said.

_Crap! _"You were at the store tonight?" I asked, deciding on playing dumb. There was nothing wrong with that, right? "Was Paul with you?"

"Yes. He was," Sam said, obviously getting annoyed. I grinned wickedly, feeling powerful at pissing off Sam. "He was hurt when you'd run away."

Ouch. That sent a pang through my heart. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize you guys were there. Joh-my boss had me cleaning the whole place."

"I hear you know something," he said in a business-like tone. Here it comes…

"Yeah, and?" I asked, feeling brave.

"You never know when they might do something to you, to try and learn secrets from the pack," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "And how do I know you won't do the same thing to me?"

"You're an imprint," he said. "If we did anything that might even have the slightest chance of hurting you, Paul would flip."

"And if any of the Cullens tried to do anything to me, you could just come over the border and rescue me, right?" I countered. So there, Sam! He didn't say anything so I continued. "Look, they won't hurt me, and you can't hurt me. So can you just let me sleep, now?"

"Fine," he said. I could tell he wasn't happy. And to tell you the truth, I really didn't care.


	8. Chapter 8: Dangerous

**Chapter 8: Dangerous**

The next day at school everyone at our lunch table was buzzing about the La Push trip. Mike was going on about how he was going to bring his surfboard. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"You? Surfboarding? Real funny, Newton," I said, crushing his ego.

"Hey, I learned how to surf in California," he whined.

_What an idiot_. "And the chances of surfing here are slim. It'll be too cold."

He narrowed his eyes at me, before turning back to Bella and bragging about his surfing "skills". I sighed and bit into my sandwich. I was still annoyed at Sam. What did he care if I knew about the Cullens? He didn't trust me with their secret, but he trusted me with his secret?

What was that about? Then, I thought of Paul. I had forgotten that I had also been running away from _him_ last night, as well as Sam and Jared. I felt like the worst girlfriend (imprint?) in history. How could I have done that to him? I put my sandwich down, feeling awful.

"What's wrong, Mel?" asked Jessica from beside me.

"Nothing," I said, hearing that my voice sounded harsher than I had intended, but I didn't want to go into it with her. Not today. I wasn't in the mood.

"Whatever," she muttered.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her. When the bell rang, I dreaded having to go to gym. I considered skipping, but I figured that I should go, considering I skipped yesterday.

We were playing badminton. _Joy_. I got through it, somehow. The one sport I hated was badminton. In my opinion, it wasn't really a _gym_ sport, since you barely moved around.

I preferred football.

The whole _girls can't play football_ thing is complete bull. Whatever, if Coach Clapp didn't start our football unit soon, I might slap someone. I made it through English, trying not to feel awkward sitting next to a vampire. Did he know I knew? Had Alice and Edward told the rest of their family? I glanced at him, and he was staring at me, looking confused and a little bewildered. Yep, I figured he knew. Either that or he could smell the wolves on me. Or…could he smell Alice on me? Would I still smell like her? Or would I smell like the wolves? Would Jasper know that I knew if he could smell Alice on me?

Maybe…

But Alice had surely told her mate that I knew about them, right? Or had she wanted to keep that a secret?

Oh, this just was _so_ confusing.

Then my thoughts switched back to the wolves.

Would Sam be hanging out at the grocery store again? Would Paul? Would Paul be mad at me? Would they know that Alice had crossed the border? Well, I _did_ have an excuse as to why they smelled vampire. I had been shopping with her all day. Obviously some of her scent would rub off on me. Of course, if they approached me, asking why they smelled vampire, I had an excuse ready. When the bell rang, I jumped out of my seat, and got ready to sprint out the door, when my teacher called me.

Crap. What had I done?

"Melanie," he smiled at me. "I just want you to know, you did wonderfully on the test we had last week."

"Thanks," I muttered.

"I was wondering if you wanted to enter a competition," he said. "It would be a writing competition, any form."

I did _not_ need any more stress in my life. "Thank you, sir. But right now my life is sort-of hectic, and I don't have much time for such things."

"Oh, it's a shame," he sighed.

"Sorry," I muttered. "I have to get to work." I practically ran out the door, and into the parking lot. Of course, I was stuck in the long line-up of students waiting to leave. There was a knock on my car window, and when I saw Eric there, I plastered a completely fake smile onto my face.

"Hey Eric," I said rolling down my window. "Do you need a ride or something?"

"No, I was just wondering…if you wanted to go to the dance with me?" he asked.

"What dance?" I asked dumbly.

"The girls' choice dance," he said. "The signs aren't up yet, but I know about it, since I'm on the student council…"

"Didn't you just say it was girls' choice?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I was wondering if you wanted to go with me," he said hopefully.

Wow. Going to a dance with Eric, or spending the day in La Push…hmmm, the dance was oh-_so_-tempting. I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"Sorry, Eric," I said. "I'll probably be in La Push."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I sort-of have a boyfriend type-thing there…" I said, biting my lip, feeling a twinge of remorse for him.

"Oh," he said. "Sorry."

"It's okay, you didn't know," I said. "I have to get to work."

"Bye Mel," he said, frowning slightly I sped away, seeing as all the cars had cleared out. I burst out laughing. Eric wanted to go to a dance with me?! No chance in hell.

When I got to work, Paul, Jared and Sam were waiting by the back door, with cut-off shorts, and t-shirts on, all looking serious. I fought the burning urge to run Sam over. I got out, and went over to Paul. He put his arm around me, a rush of warmth flooded into me, and I felt relieved. Okay, that was a good sign, I wasn't in trouble. Well…at least not much trouble.

"We smelled vampire here yesterday," Sam informed me, all business. "Was there a Cullen here?"

"Nope," I said. "I probably just smelled like one."

"And why would you smell like one?" asked Jared. Paul bared his teeth slightly at Jared. Jared smirked in return, though I noticed his eyes lingering on me.

"Because, I went shopping with one of them yesterday," I addressed Sam.

"You did what?" Paul growled.

"When she found out I knew about them, she was excited that someone knew all about them, and wanted to take me shopping," I explained.

"You went _shopping_ with one of _them_?" Paul growled, taking his arm away from my waist, making me feel cold all over.

"Yes. I did," I replied. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes, it is," Sam informed me.

"Did I ask you?" I snapped.

Paul pulled me away from the other two, though I could still feel their eyes on me. "How could you trust them, Melanie?"

"What, they're not good enough monsters for me?" I asked. "You could snap at me any second, and would I be any worse off than if one of them did?" I saw hurt flash through his eyes. It sent a pang through my heart, but I needed to stand my ground here. "The Cullens aren't going to hurt me," I said. "And I trust that you won't. Do I have to choose between you and them?"

He softened a bit. "No. It's okay if you want to hang out with them, just make sure you shower afterwards. Their scent burns our nostrils."

I smiled at him. "Okay."

He bent down to kiss me, when Johnny came out the back door, looking at me expectantly.

"Sorry," I said.

"Get in here," he said.

I looked at Paul apologetically.

"Yeah Johnny?" I asked, once in his office.

He had his back to me. "I have to take a leave of absence."

"Oh," I said.

"I don't know what to do," he confessed, looking at me. "I can't just close the place, but who can I leave in charge?"

"I don't know," I said. "I have school and all, but if I didn't, I would totally take care of the place for you."

He smiled. "I know you would."

"Johnny, you're just going to have to close the place. What else can you do?" I said.

"Yeah, you're right," he sighed. "You'll be out of work for a bit."

"Don't worry about it," I smiled. "I'll survive."

"Thanks, Mel," he said.

"When are you leaving?" I asked.

"Tonight," he said.

"Tonight!?" I gasped.

"Yeah, I couldn't call you, I don't have your home number, and you weren't picking up your cell."

Had it even rung?

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

"Don't worry," he said. "Sorry I wasted your time."

I waved off his apology. "It's okay."

"I have nothing for you to do tonight," he hinted, seeing as I was still standing there like an idiot.

"Oh! Jeez, sorry Johnny," I said. "I'll just go."

"Sorry again, Mel," he said.

"It's okay," I said, walking out the back door. Paul was sitting out there by my car. I looked around, expecting to see Sam or Jared.

"They aren't here," he said quietly.

I went over and sat beside him.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm tired," he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"So why don't you sleep?" I asked.

"Sam's working me hard," he said. "It hurts to be away from you."

I melted. I wrapped my arms around him. "Isn't there a way you could take a break?"

"No, Sam's making us work doubly hard, in case one of the Cullens crosses over," he said, rolling his eyes. "He just wants an excuse to pick fights with them."

I sighed. He pulled me onto his lap, and I snuggled in to him, trying to put as little space between us as possible.

"Couldn't you just, hide for a few days or something?" I asked.

"He'd just smell me out," he said.

I had to bite back a laugh. Images of Sam sniffing the ground on his hands and knees popped into my head.

"Why aren't you at work?" he asked suddenly.

"Johnny's going away for a bit, he didn't need me tonight."

"Oh," Paul said.

"You need rest," I said, sounding like a mother.

"I know," he said, taking a deep breath. "But Sam's the alpha, I can't disobey him. I wish I could."

"So then why don't you come to Forks with me?" I pleaded. "You could sleep, and Sam wouldn't touch you."

"I can't cross the border," He objected.

"The Cullens owe me," I said, thinking of Alice.

"How?" he asked.

"Wait," I said, taking out my phone. Paul looked wearily at me. I dialed Alice's number.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up…" I willed.

"Hello?" came Alice's wind-chime voice through the phone.

"Hey Alice, its Mel," I said.

"Oh, hey Mel," She said, I could hear the smile in her voice. "What's up?"

"I have a favour to ask you," I said.

"Okay, what is it?" she asked.

"Could my boyfriend please come over the border into Forks?" I asked.

There was silence on the other end.

"Mel…I don't know…" she said.

"Alice, please," I begged. "He's not sleeping well, and it would only be him. I promise. You can even patrol the border to make sure none of the other ones come over. You sort-of owe me…well, them…" I trailed off.

"Don't mention that," she said quickly. "Fine, I grant him permission-but only him. Warn him that if any other ones come over, there will be trouble."

"Thank you Alice!" I squealed into the phone.

"No problem, bye Mel."

"Bye Alice," I said, hanging up. I grinned wickedly at Paul. "Ready to disobey your alpha?"


	9. Chapter 9: Horrible

**Chapter 9:Horrible**

Paul was nervous the whole way driving to the border. He kept looking around to see if we were being followed. It wasn't until I had driven over the border that he had begged me to stop.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling over. "We made it."

"Sam's there," he said nervously. He was literally shaking with fear.

"It's okay," I soothed. "_You_have permission to be here." Paul unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the car with me following closely behind him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Paul?" Sam barked. Paul looked at the ground. "Get back over here, you're waging a war."

"He has permission," I said.

"From who?" Sam demanded.

"From me," said a tinkling voice from inside the forest. I smiled gratefully as I saw Alice come out onto the road where we were. "I have given him permission to come across the border for a bit. Mel told me he can barely stand he's too tired, but be warned, if either of you cross over, there will be trouble, seeing as I haven't granted you permission." Sam snarled at Alice and it made me hope she had brought someone else with her. I looked into the forest, and saw Edward and Jasper standing there, wearily watching the scene go down. Jasper looked a teeny bit tenser than Edward did as Sam snarled at Alice. I didn't blame him. Sam was scary when he was angry.

"Now, are you going to try to cross over?" Alice taunted.

"You do not want to mess with me," Sam growled. I was surprised he had kept his cool so long.

"And _you_ don't want to mess with _me_," said a slightly southern drawl from inside the forest.

_Jasper._

I glanced at Paul; he was still looking at the ground. I grasped his hand, and squeezed.

"Paul," Sam addressed him; I could still hear the anger in his voice. Paul looked up at him. "Don't make this a habit." Paul nodded once, and Sam ran off with Jared close behind, throwing Paul an apologetic glance. Paul looked upset.

"You'll be fine," Alice assured us…well, she only spoke to me. "Sam won't come over here, knowing how serious we are about the treaty." I shared a knowing glance with her.

"Come on, Paul," I said. "We should go." He walked over to my car; I think he was still a bit stunned at what had happened. Either that or he was angry with me. "Thank you, Alice, and you too, Edward and Jasper."

"You're welcome," came three replies at the same time; two bass, one soprano. I smiled at Alice once more, and got into the driver seat of my car. I drove for a bit, but then I couldn't take the silence anymore. He was just staring out the window. He didn't exactly look angry, but I couldn't tell. He was good at hiding his emotions.

"Say something," I begged.

"Like what?"

"Anything," I begged. "Please, tell me you're not mad at me."

"Mad at you?" he repeated, obviously surprised. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"For making you leave La Push," I said. "And for making you disobey Sam. I'm sorry. It's just that you're so tired…"

"I'm not _mad_at you for that," he said. "I'm proud of you."

"_Proud_of me?"

"You had the guts to call up a vampire, to request my access in Forks, and you stood up to Sam," he said. "So, yes, I am proud of you." I smiled warmly at him and he smiled weakly back, which made me realize just how tired he was. As I turned into my driveway, I breathed a sigh of relief that my dad wasn't home. We walked through the front door, and I led Paul up to my room.

"Here," I said, motioning to my bed. "You can sleep here."

He pulled me along with him as he flopped down on my bed. I grinned at him and he smiled back. "You could use some sleep, too," he said, touching my cheek. I snuggled against him, letting his warmth engulf me. I smiled against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. It soothed me, and made me fall right asleep.

I woke to someone kissing my neck. I didn't mind, it felt good. I let out a small moan, and Paul stopped, grinning wolfishly at me.

"Hey sleepy-head," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, you're one to talk," I muttered, making him laugh. "Did you get enough sleep?"

"Definitely," he said.

"Good," I said. I glanced out the window. "What time is it?" I gasped.

"Nine o'clock," he said, checking his watch. "In the morning."

"What?!" I screeched. "I'm late!"

Paul pulled me back to his chest, as I was about to try and make a superhero attempt at getting to school on time. "It's okay," he said. "One day off won't kill you."

I relaxed and snuggled in his arms. "Did my dad come in?"

"Not as far as I know," Paul said. That was weird. Normally my dad would at least acknowledge that I was alive when he came home from work, and I know for a fact he would've hit the roof if he had seen Paul and me together in my bed.

My phone vibrated. I groaned. Who would be calling me in the morning? I picked up my phone, but didn't recognize the number. When I didn't pick up, I saw I had five missed calls from this person.

"Paul, do you recognize this number?" I asked, showing him the phone.

"That's Jared's number," he said, brow creasing. "Why would he be calling you?" I shrugged, and jumped when he called again.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"Mel! Thank god you picked up!" he sounded worried, relieved, or…scared? "Mel, something's happened."

"What's wrong?" I asked sharply.

"It's Sam," he began.

"What happened to Sam?" I asked. Paul looked at me worriedly.

"Last night, he was mad; Emily tried to calm him down…she got a bit too close."

Oh. My. _God_.

_No._

"No," I whispered, dropping the phone.

"Jared, what happened?" Paul asked seriously into my phone, I barely heard him. I wasn't listening. My mind was whirling. Emily was hurt.

_No. No. No._

"Oh my god," I heard Paul whisper. "Okay, yeah, we'll be there soon."

He ended the call with Jared. I sat on my bed, paralyzed. Emily was hurt? Oh god, no.

"Mel, we have to go," Paul said urgently, tugging on my arm. I couldn't move. I was frozen in shock, sitting on my bed. "Melanie, come on. We have to go to the hospital." I still couldn't move. "I'm going to pick you up and carry you to the car," he warned. I felt myself being lifted off my bed, and outside. Paul strapped me into the passenger seat. I didn't care how he had found my keys. Emily was hurt. And it was completely my fault.

It dawned on me then, it was _my_ fault that Sam was mad. It was my fault Emily got hurt. If she…died I would never be able to live with myself. I hadn't noticed that Paul had started driving.

"What happened to her?" I whispered.

"Sam…he scratched her when he phased," Paul explained. My throat felt dry and scratchy. I thought I would've burst into tears by now, but surprisingly I hadn't. I looked down, mildly surprised that I was still wearing what I wore yesterday.

"I feel horrible," I whispered, knowing my voice wouldn't get much louder anytime soon. "It's my fault."

"It is _not_ your fault," Paul said forcefully.

"Yes, it is," I half-sobbed, feeling tears spring to my eyes. "If I hadn't made Sam angry yesterday this never would have happened."

Paul took my hand in his and squeezed. "This is no one's fault. It was an accident."

I looked over at Paul, his face was serious. When he pulled into a parking spot in the hospital parking lot, I didn't want to go in. I wasn't sure I could face Emily right now…or Sam. I sat in the car for a minute, biting my lip.

"Hey," Paul said, holding my face in his big hands. "It's okay. She'll want to see you."

"Will Sam?" I asked, hearing how my own voice shook.

"I don't care what Sam thinks of you." Paul said quietly. "Emily really likes you; _she_ will want you there."

I took a deep breath and got out of my car. Paul took my hand as we neared the hospital doors. I had no idea what I was about to walk into, but with Paul at my side, I suddenly knew I could face anything that was thrown at me. I could face any obstacle thrown in my path with Paul by my side. He'd keep me grounded, and support me through anything. And I would always be here for him, because I loved him.

I loved Paul with all my heart, and I never wanted anything to come between us.


	10. Chapter 10: Unexpected

**Chapter 10: Unexpected**

Paul and I walked through the silent hospital. If it wasn't for his steady hand covering mine, I would definitely be shaking. I was nervous…more nervous than I had been ever been in my entire life. We finally found Emily's room, where Jared was waiting outside; face ashen. When he heard us coming his face snapped up to meet ours.

"How is she?" Paul asked.

"She's okay," Jared said quietly, eyes on me. "She's asleep right now. Her face got pretty beat up."

"How's Sam?" I couldn't help but ask.

"He's dealing with it. He's upset with himself."

Paul said something in a different language to Jared. Jared answered swiftly in the same language. Were they speaking Quileute? I wasn't sure. I had heard the boys and Emily speaking in that language before, but I was never sure exactly what it was. And what had they said that I couldn't know?

"Come on, Mel," Paul said quietly. "Let's go in."

We went into Emily's room, and, surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as I had expected; but only because of the gauze that was covering the right side of her face. Sam was sitting on a chair beside her bed, holding her hand, staring at her face. I felt a pang in my heart at the look on his face. He was beating himself up about this; I could tell from where I was standing.

I went over and stood beside him.

"She'll be okay," I assured him quietly. He looked at me, and in his eyes, I didn't see what I had expected. I had expected him to glare at me, to see hate in his eyes when he saw me. But, his eyes were sad. _So_ sad that it prompted me to do something I never thought I would do; I hugged him tightly. He seemed as surprised as I was, but I squeezed him, trying to comfort him.

I let go of him. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It isn't your fault," he said. "I don't even remember why I would've been mad, now…and it doesn't matter."

I nodded, feeling tears in my eyes. Paul and I sat with Sam for a bit, and after a while, Emily's uncovered eye flicked open. She smiled warmly when she saw us sitting around her, but when she saw Sam staring at her it was like a light suddenly went on in her eyes.

Paul squeezed my hand, signaling that we should leave to let them be alone. Jared was dozing outside the door, snoring softly. It made me wonder just how long he had been here at the hospital, and how long it had been since he had last slept. Paul kicked him gently to wake him up.

"She's awake," Paul said.

"How'd she look?" Jared asked.

"She looked happy to see us," I said. "We decided to give them some privacy."

"She'll be okay," Jared sighed, relieved. "Sit."

We sat down across from Jared. There was an awkward silence following. None of us was sure what to say, and I felt like the pressure was on me to say something to lighten the mood, since both Paul and Jared's eyes were on me, but I couldn't think of anything.

The door to Emily's room opened, making all three of us jump. I practically welcomed the interruption with open arms.

"Em, come on you need to rest," came Sam's voice.

"No, I'm hungry," she insisted.

"We'll get something for you, Em," I offered immediately. "Sam's right, you need your rest. What do you want us to get?"

She sighed, biting the half of her lip that was visible. "A sandwich I guess, with anything on it, just…no mushrooms."

"No problem," I smiled.

Paul and I went down to the cafeteria to grab some food for everyone. Five sandwiches and five drinks; Paul had to carry half more than half of our loot. Once we got back to Emily's room, Jared had moved into the room. She was sitting on the bed, and there were two more chairs around her bed. Paul and I sat down, and handed out the food. We all nibbled on what we got, except Emily; she seemed really, really hungry and tore into it.

She smiled at us. "I feel like I'm being rude."

"You're not," I assured her with a smile. She returned my smile warmly. Given the circumstances, I was surprised she was in such a good mood. Smiling, and laughing with each other, I learned something that night.

No matter what happened, we were all a family. Nothing could stop that. We would always be there for each other. It comforted me knowing that I had my own little family down here in La Push. It made me feel safe. Safer than I felt in Forks, that was for sure.

Awhile later, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to have phones in here, but whatever. I forgot to check the caller I.D. when I picked up.

"Hello?" I asked into the receiver.

"Mel? Thank god! Where are you?" it was my dad. Had I not left a note for him? Oops.

"Sorry dad, there was an accident…um something happened to my friend Emily," I said.

"Is she okay?" my dad asked.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," I said.

"When are you coming home?" he asked.

"I think I should stay here with her," I said.

"Yeah, that would be better," he said. "Just let me know when you're coming home, and I'll call the school for you and everything. Take your time."

_Wow_. That had been unexpected. "Thanks dad."

"No problem."

I hung up, and looked around the room. Somehow, Em and I were the only ones left in the room. Where had the guys gone? Emily noticed me looking around.

"They just had to go take care of some things," she explained. "They should be back soon."

"Oh," I said.

"Don't worry, they're not running around outside. They're just talking." She bit the half of her lip that was exposed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, moving to a chair closer to her bed.

"Nothing, it's just…" she looked at me. "I think Sam is beating himself up about this too much. He needs to know that I don't blame him. This sort of thing was bound to happen sooner or later, what with Paul and Jared pissing him off all the time. I know this was an accident, and I don't want them, or you, blaming them for this." She sighed. "I knew the risks when I agreed to be with Sam. I knew there was danger. I always knew there was a chance something would happen. And honestly, it could've happened to anyone; any of the elders, any of the locals, either of us."

My throat tightened uneasily. Emily was right. Something like this could have happened to anyone, and it didn't scare me. I was slightly surprised at the realization of that. Knowing that I could get hurt in this type of accident should have sent me running screaming out of the hospital, but it didn't scare me at all. I knew the risks of being with Paul; it was shown right in front of me with Emily here in the hospital.

So why was I still here?

_Silly!_ A small voice in my head said._You love him! Can't you see? If you didn't love him, you wouldn't be here. You love all those dogs on some level!_

I felt the slightest bit crazy, but the voice was helping. I loved Paul. There was no stopping it. The realization hit me like a wrecking ball. I loved him. And there wasn't anything anybody could say about it to stop it.

Nothing.

"You don't need to stay with me, you know," Emily said, obviously not rude, just very polite-as she always was.

"No, I want to," I said. "When the boys aren't here, and even when they are here, who would keep you company?"

She smiled. "Thank you, Mel."

"No problem," I said with a smile.

We talked for a little bit after that, just random imprint things. Awhile later, Paul, Jared, and Sam came in laughing at each other. I was glad to see that they were all in good spirits.

Sam immediately went to Emily's side, and Paul came over to me, grasping my hand. Jared stood awkwardly in the doorway. I felt bad for him, since he didn't really have anybody. Jared left the doorway, and went out into the hallway.

"Hang on," I muttered to Paul, and followed Jared out. He was looking out a window, so I went up beside him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He didn't look at me. "What's happened with Emily has made us all think." I didn't say anything, so he continued. "Paul's especially worried about you. His temper is worse than mine or Sam's. And since I have nobody…"

"You'll find someone," I assured him.

He met my eyes evenly. "How do you know that?"

"I just know that you will," I said.

Jared stared at me. The way he was looking at me scared me a bit. It reminded me of the way Paul sometimes looked at me.

"Melanie…" Jared whispered, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me close to him.

No way.

_No._ This was _not_happening.

"No, Jared," I said quietly, but forcefully, trying to push him away from me. But he was strong. _Really _strong

"Please let go of me," I whispered.

"I can't," he said, quietly.

"What?" I asked.

"Mel…" he hesitated. "I…I think I've imprinted on you."


	11. Chapter 11: Scars

**Chapter 11: Scars**

"But…but Paul's imprinted on me," I stammered.

Jared took a deep breath. "I know that, but when I look at you, it's like you're the only thing holding my world together."

No. This was not going to happen. Sure, I loved Jared, but as a big brother. Definitely _not_ the way I felt about Paul. Jared still had his hand on my back, and I tried to pull away from him. This time he let me.

"Jared, I cannot be with you," I said.

"Why not?" he asked, frowning.

"Because, I'm with Paul!" I exclaimed.

"So?" he asked. "Run away with me?"

This was insane! "No, Jared." He sighed as if he knew I would've said no when the words escaped his mouth. "Jared, I love you," I whispered, and his eyes lit up. "But not the way you want me to love you. You're more like an older brother to me." His face fell immediately. "I don't even think you have imprinted on me," I continued. "Is it even possible?"

"Who knows?" he asked. "But, how I feel for you now is exactly what both Sam and Paul have described."

I stared at him. "I'm sorry Jared, but I can't be with you."

He looked down. I felt horrible, but it was the truth. I could _not_be with Jared. I was with Paul. I had to repeat that over and over again in my head.

All of a sudden, something snapped in Jared. He looked deep into my eyes, and took my face in his hands. I tried to wiggle free, but his grip was too tight.

"Lately I've had this feeling of being _pulled_to you, Melanie," he whispered.

Before I even knew what was going on, his lips were on mine. No! I didn't want this! His heat engulfed me, not in the good, comforting way like Paul's heat. I tried to get him off me, but he wouldn't budge. I pushed hard against his chest, but it was no use. He was too strong for me. If my mouth was free, I would've screamed for Paul, if my mouth was free, but it obviously wasn't.

"What are you doing?" demanded my knight in shining armor. Jared broke away from me immediately, and I practically ran over to Paul's side. He tucked me under his arm. His face was thunderous and I felt a tremor roll through him. _Not here, please don't let him phase here._ Jared looked absolutely terrified. Hell, I didn't blame him. If Paul was looking at me like that I'd probably pass out in fear.

"What were you doing to her?" demanded Paul.

"I-I don't know," Jared stuttered. "I-I…think I may have i-imprinted on her."

"You what?!" snarled Paul. I felt another tremor run through him. His temper was steadily rising, and I prayed that he wouldn't phase here.

"It's not my fault!" Jared defended.

"_Un_imprint, Jared." Paul growled.

"I can't!" Jared yelled. "You know how it feels!"

Another tremor ran through Paul's body. I put my hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.

"You better try," Paul growled.

"What is going on out here?" demanded a gruff voice. I had never been so happy in my entire life to hear Sam's voice.

"He imprinted on her," Paul snarled.

"What?" Sam asked.

"He's imprinted on Mel," Paul growled.

"That's impossible," Sam said.

"Apparently it isn't," Paul growled again.

"Melanie, you should go in the room with Emily, we wouldn't want you getting hurt," Sam advised me. I took one look at Paul's shaking form, and practically ran for Emily's room.

"Is everything okay out there?" she asked, staring widely at me with the eye that was uncovered.

I sunk into a chair, holding my head in my hands. "No," I groaned.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Apparently Jared imprinted on me," I said.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know."

"Where did Sam go?" she asked.

"I think he took them outside," I said. "Paul was shaking...I think he was close to phasing." Emily nodded slowly. "Em, do you mind if I sleep?" I asked. "I'm just really tired."

"Go ahead," she smiled. "I don't mind at all."

"Thank you," I said gratefully. I curled up on the comfy chair, and surprisingly fell asleep right away. I dreamed Paul and Jared were fighting...over me. They both phased, and it was horrible.

I woke with a start; I could feel my heart thudding in my chest. I looked around groggily. My neck was stiff, and my back was sore. But at least I wasn't tired anymore.

Emily was awake, reading a book. When she saw me looking around she smiled at me.

"The boys came back once through the night. They're talking about what's going to happen," she explained.

"Oh," I said.

"We have to change your bandages, Emily," a female nurse sang, coming into the room. She peeled the gauze off Emily's face, and I fought hard to keep my face blank. It looked horrible, and I felt terribly for her; it must hurt like hell! There were scars covering the whole right side of her face. She smiled weakly at me and I smiled back at her apologetically.

"You'll be out of here soon," the nurse grinned at her. "That dog must have got you good, huh?"

When the nurse left, Paul, Jared, and Sam came in. Paul didn't look as mad as Jared did, which was good. Sam went over to Emily and kissed her lightly. Paul came over to me, and put a protective arm around my shoulders. Jared glared at him. I could taste the tension in the room, and I knew that it was time for me to. I couldn't stand to stay here much longer.

"I should probably get going," I said, getting out of my chair.

Paul walked me out of the hospital after I had said my goodbyes. "I'm really sorry about last night."

"It's fine," I said quietly. "It wasn't your fault."

Paul looked away. "Something like this has never happened before." I could really only nod in response. "I don't even think it's possible, neither does Sam," he added bitterly.

"Hey," I said, turning his face to mine. "Don't get all upset about this. I love _you_. Not Jared. Sure, I love him as a big brother, but nothing more."

Paul smiled down at me. "I was scared you might choose him over me."

My heart squeezed uncomfortably. "How could I do that to you?"

"You really love me?" he whispered, eyes lighting up.

I nodded. "I do."

He leaned down and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he gripped my hips with his hands. The heat that radiated off of him made me feel like there was nothing wrong in the world. It soothed me, and made me forget all my worries. He deepened the kiss, and I was happy I was with him.

Would I think differently had Jared had imprinted on me before Paul? If Jared had imprinted on me first, would I be standing here kissing Paul? I wanted to think so.

I broke away from Paul, and plastered a smile on my face, even though on the inside I was full of mixed emotions. Paul handed me my car keys, he had had them? Oh, right. He was the one who had driven us here.

"Drive safe," he said.

"I will," I said quietly.

I climbed into my car, and Paul closed the door behind me. I drove off, anxious to get home. Was I crazy? Yeah, I thought so. I loved Paul. There was no denying it.

_But if Jared imprinted on you first, you would be with him._ The annoying little voice in my head whispered.

Shut up.

_It was a snooze-you-lose situation. It's Jared's fault for not getting you first. If he doesn't like it, tell him to suck it up._

Okay. The voice _was_ helping.

I could not be with Jared. He was too much of a brother to me, being with him would be as awkward as being with your biological brother.

Ick.

There was no competition between Jared and Paul; none what-so-ever.

Nada.

I needed to make that clear to Jared, somehow…and make that clear to myself.

Now that I really thought about it, sometimes before all this happened, I had caught him just…looking at me…why hadn't I ever taken that seriously? I had probably just thought he was jealous of Paul and my relationship, considering he was the only one without an imprint, but now…

Not so much.

I hadn't realized I had driven the entire home in the midst of my mental blahs. I went into my room right away and flopped down on my bed. What if I just left Forks? Leave all this drama behind, start somewhere new.

It would kill Paul, but how could I ask him to choose me over his pack brother? Unless…he came with me.

No, that was crazy.

He couldn't just run away from his pack. And the wolves were Emily's family, too. How could I even think of taking one of them away from her? I sighed. I didn't want to be the cause of the pack breaking up. So, it made me wonder just how much it would really hurt Paul if I left…but I was pretty sure knew the answer to that.

Could an imprint break? It sent a pang through my heart just thinking about it. Maybe if there was distance between the wolves and me…

No. I couldn't leave. I glanced at my calendar; there were still a few months until spring break. I had school.

Damn. I could go visit my best friend, Leslie, who had moved to Vancouver. But my dad would never let me go before spring break. I couldn't just ignore them. I knew Paul would come over the border if he thought something was wrong.

Unless…

No. It was crazy.

The thought of hiding out at the Cullens' place popped into my head, but that was insane.

Was it?

No, living in a house full of vampires was definitely crazy. I wasn't eighteen yet, I couldn't move out. I really liked the thought of running away with Paul, but I knew it could never happen.

I groaned, holding my head in my hands.

There was a small tap at my window, it made me jump. There, standing out on my back lawn was Jared.

I stared down at him, not wanting to open the window. He looked up at me, pleading with his eyes. I opened my window and asked, "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you."

"You can't come in," I said.

"Mel, I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have kissed you last night, and I promise I won't get in the way of you and Paul. But if he _ever_ hurts you, I'll kill him. I'll only ever be there as a brother for you. I wouldn't want to force you into anything."

"Thank you, Jared," I had whispered it, but I knew he would hear me. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"I have to go, I can't be here," he said, and ran off. I plopped down on my bed again. Well, my problem was solved…was it? I couldn't help but feel like this would cause a whole slew of problems that I wouldn't want to deal with.

Ugh. I hated this.

I was with Paul. That was all there was to it, and it was going to stay that way.


	12. Chapter 12: Scared

**Chapter 12: Scared**

The next day at school, Mike was being especially annoying. Every single thing he was saying was irritating me.

"Mel, don't forget about Saturday," he reminded me.

"What about Saturday?" I asked.

He stared at me. "The trip to First Beach."

Oh. _Right_. "Yeah, I'll be there. We're meeting at your parents' store, right?"

"Yeah," he said. "Bring your surfboard."

"In your dreams," I retorted. "What time?"

"Eight."

I groaned. "Okay. Who's coming to pick me up?"

"I will!" Eric volunteered excitedly.

_Shit._ Eric had definitely _not_ been who I had had in mind. "Okay, you better get there on time though, and if I'm still asleep…well let yourself in. The extra key is under the welcome mat."

Little did Eric know, I would be hiding that key somewhere else after Saturday morning. I sighed and looked up. Eric was _still_ looking at me. _Look at Bella! Please!_ I willed in my head, but Bella was looking towards the Cullens every so often, and would drop her gaze to her food right away.

"Is there something you need, Eric?" I asked.

"Did we have gym homework?" he asked lamely.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Totally, coach told us to dribble a basketball, didn't you hear him?"

The whole table burst out laughing, even Bella, which was a rare event for her. Eric's face turned beet red, and I had to hide my grin.

I skipped gym. Yeah, yeah; I know what you're thinking. But really, today we were doing health instead of regular gym, and to be perfectly honest, learning that stuff from Coach Clapp was _not_ at the top of my to-do list, thank you very much. I sat in my car, and leaned back in the seat, thinking about the whole mess with the wolves. I didn't know what was going to happen with that, but I could feel a sense of impending doom just thinking about it. Suddenly, there were cold hands on my mouth, I jumped about three feet in the air, but what the person said made me freeze.

"Don't you dare scream, or I'll snap your little neck," warned a female voice that sounded high-pitched and girly. "Start the car and drive." With shaking hands, I started the car, and pulled out of the parking lot. I was scared to look in the rear view mirror. Her hand slowly came away from my mouth.

"Where am I going?" I whispered, knowing that my voice would be shaky and scared if I tried to speak any louder.

"Anywhere," she said immediately.

I wasn't sure where to go at first, but then it clicked. I drove to the only place that I knew was safe for me.

I glanced in my rear-view mirror and was shocked at what I saw. She was absolutely gorgeous, and she had a sort-of…warrior look to her? It was like she had been running through a forest all day. Her flaming red hair had leaves and twigs in it. But her eyes were the scariest part.

They were ruby red. Blood red. Seriously; what was she?!

As I crossed the border between Forks and La Push, I sped to Emily's house, silently praying that someone was there. I groaned inwardly as I saw Jared sitting on her porch. I pulled over and ran out of the car as fast as I could to him and hiding behind him as the woman in my car got out and stared at me with wide eyes. I could also see a bit of anger on her face, as well as confusion.

"What's wrong?" Jared asked me, not seeing the woman. I pointed at the crazy red-head, trying to stop my hand from shaking. They faced each other, and I bit back a hysterical laugh as the crinkled their noses in unison.

"You should get out of here, or you'll be sorry," he snarled.

She glared at him. "What can you do? You smell like a dog."

I slumped on the little couch on Emily's porch, feeling lightheaded and woozy. I can't lie and say that I wasn't terrified; I was _so_ scared of this woman and what she wanted with me. I mean, why had she picked my car out of everybody else's in the lot?

_It's okay, you're safe now, Jared's here, Jared's got you._ I reassured myself. I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself, but it wasn't working. I could feel myself hyperventilating, and hysteria bubbling up inside.

"You don't want to know what I can do," Jared growled.

She laughed at him, and it sounded like bells. How could someone so evil sound so wonderful? I felt super lightheaded now. What was wrong with me? I glanced at Jared, oh, had he chased her away? She was gone? Oh, Jared was coming over to me. He was suddenly right in front of me. I giggled. How had he moved so fast?

Oh no, his mouth was moving, I was in no state to focus on his words…what the hell was he saying? I couldn't concentrate, and that made me burst into more fits of laughter. Before I knew what was happening, I was lifted off the little couch. Where was I? I felt myself being carried, and then I sighed happily as I was plopped onto something soft and warm and I fell blacked out.

When I woke up, I was confused. Where was I? What had happened? I looked around, rubbing my eyes. Jared was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room I was in. Was I in Emily's house?

_Why?_

"Because there was a bloodsucker in your car with you," Jared said; tension clear in his voice and posture. Had I been talking out loud during my half sleepiness? _Lovely_. What else had I said? "You drove here, and you fainted, or something. I chased her away."

"Oh," I said. "Is Paul here?"

Jared's face darkened a shade, but I didn't give a crap. "No, but he's coming."

Good. A huge flood of relief washed through me.

"You saved me?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess I did," he shrugged, and then added bitterly, "What are brothers for?"

I glowered at him. "I thought you were okay with this!"

"I'm trying to be!" he said, shoulders slumping forward.

"Mel?" called a voice from the kitchen. My heart almost swelled right out of my chest just at the sound of his voice.

"Back here!" I called.

Paul came into the bedroom, and came right to my side, taking my head in his big, gentle hands. Jared exited the room right away.

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently, searching my eyes with his.

I kissed him long and hard, as if he were my life preserver. God, I loved him so much.

"Now I am," I whispered when we broke apart.


	13. Chapter 13: Moving?

**Chapter 13: Moving?**

I woke to the sound of someone knocking on my front door. I ignored it, groaned, and rolled over. Then, the knocking persisted, this time on my bedroom door.

"Mel? It's Eric…we have to be at Mike's parents' store soon…" He cracked my door open and poked his head in.

"Get out," I growled when it looked like he was going to come all the way into my bedroom. "I'll be out in five." I groaned as I rolled out of bed. This was _way_ too early to be moving for a Saturday. I somehow managed to get ready in less than five minutes. _Why_ had I agreed to this? I could go to First Beach anytime I wanted with Paul. When I left my bedroom, Eric was waiting outside my bedroom door.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Can we stop for coffee on the way?"

"Sure," he grinned.

I got my coffee, and I was the teeniest bit happier. But only a tiny bit…because Eric wouldn't stop talking. I was tempted to tell him to stop talking, but I knew my sour mood was just because of how early I had had to wake up. I was glad when we got to the Newton's sporting goods store; I immediately distanced myself from Eric. We all piled into the car we were taking, I wasn't even sure whose car it was, and started driving. Bella was in the front, where Mike had dragged her to.

I stifled a laugh. He was trying to flirt with her, and it obviously wasn't working. She was more into Edward. As soon as we crossed over the invisible border between La Push and Forks, I automatically felt at home. La Push was totally my second home. Maybe when I was eighteen I would move down here.

_Maybe?_Whispered that annoying voice in my head. _Don't kid yourself. You know you're going to live here when you're eighteen, so you can be with Paul._

Okay, it was right. I had told Paul to come to the beach today, but who knew when he would show up? I hoped he would. I found myself looking around for him.

Mike wanted me to surf. I told him no. He dragged me out to the water, and threw me in. I was going to murder him.

"You want me to surf?" I challenged, shivering in my wet clothes.

"Yeah," he grinned.

I glared at him. "You first."

He was walking out into the water, getting ready to mount his board, and I pushed him in, face-first.

"That's what you get," I snapped. I back went over to where the other girls were sitting, and Bella handed me a towel.

"Thanks," I muttered, running the towel through my hair trying to get it to dry. I wrapped the towel around myself to get a bit warmer. I could tell that Jessica and Lauren were fighting the urge to laugh at me. I glared at both of them. My death-glare must have worked, since they stopped giggling right away. But they were looking over my shoulder. I turned to see Paul approaching. I went straight to him and hugged him. His warmth made me feel a million times better.

"What happened to you?" he asked quietly. "You look like a washed up cat."

"Mike Newton threw me in the water," I said, gritting my teeth.

"Which one is he?" I pointed and he smirked, eyeing Mike and saying, "Want me to take care of him?"

"Nah, I took care of it," I said. "I threw him in the water." Paul gave me a proud look and put his arm around my shoulders. Jessica and Lauren's jaws hung open, and they looked like their heads were about to explode. Bella blushed slightly. Angela was grinning at me.

I was warming up and drying really quickly. People were staring at us, which _really_annoyed me. Why did they feel the need to stare? Eric had a face that was half shock, half trauma. Okay, I'll admit that I smirked a little at him.

I sat with Paul on a log along with a few other people. Then, Sam and Jared came. I was a little surprised to see Sam here, was Emily home already? I was even more surprised when Jared didn't make a face at Paul's arm around me. Maybe this whole situation with Jared was improving.

"Is Emily already home?" I directed Sam.

"Yes," Sam said, I could see the happiness in his eyes. "She's getting re-settled. She says it's strange to not have the gauze on her face anymore."

"Oh." I said.

"Did you tell her?" Sam asked Paul. At first I thought they were talking about something that had to do with Emily, but when Paul's arm tightened protectively around me, I wasn't so sure.

"Not yet," he said through gritted teeth.

I stared at them blankly, having no idea what was going on.

"If you don't tell her, I will," Jared warned.

"Tell me what?" I asked, pleading at Paul with my eyes.

We locked eyes and I could see the hesitation clear in them.

"I want you to come live down here in La Push," he said.

"Why?" I asked, disbelieving the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"Because you could've been kil-" Paul started to say before Sam cut him off.

"Maybe we could take this somewhere a bit more private?" Sam urged, looking around at the other people staring at the scene that was sure to go down any second. I sighed, Paul obviously wasn't thinking straight. There were lots of reasons why I couldn't come down to live here. Well…at least not yet. First of all, I wasn't eighteen. My parents would never let come here. Second, I still had school; I wasn't going to switch schools with less than a year and half until I graduated. No way. Third, where would I live? I didn't have enough to pay for my own apartment yet.

What was Paul thinking?!

I hadn't realized we had been walking to where all the cars were parked, my mind blabbing had got the best of me; again.

"Mel, you could've been killed by that red-headed bloodsucker," Paul growled. "I want you safe, where I can always see you."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not eighteen!"

"So?" he asked.

"My parents will never let me," I objected.

"I don't care, I'll convince them," he growled. "Forks isn't safe for you."

"Paul, listen to yourself," I begged. "I'm not eighteen, I have school, and I don't have enough money to get my own apartment."

"I have my own apartment," he reasoned. "You would obviously be living with me. And as for school, well there's the school down here, or you can drive to Forks for school, and we can make something up to deal with your parents. We'd think of something to convince them."

It did sound great to live with Paul…

No. I couldn't. I looked at Paul deep into his eyes. "I can't come live with you."

"Why not?" he demanded.

"I've told you already," I said. "Wait another year, when I'm legal."

He smiled a small smile at me. "You'd really come live with me?"

"Yes," I promised.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I said pulling his face close to mine. And then there was a sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Not to be rude or anything," Jared said sheepishly. "But PDA can really make a person feel uncomfortable."

I sighed, knowing the moment between Paul and I was over. I glowered at Jared as I pushed past him and walked back to the beach.

Mike wanted to go for a hike, I giggled when I saw that his hair still hadn't dried, like mine had. We went for the hike, but I had Paul leading me, since I didn't trust Mike, and Paul was running around here every night. At some point we were separated from the rest.

"Where are we?" I whispered to Paul.

"Who cares?" he grinned. "We're _alone._"

I smiled at him, and pulled his face down to mine again. He kissed me, and I felt every ounce of his love for me in that kiss. He broke off, but I still wanted more, I pulled his face back to mine, and kissed him. He gripped my hips, and I ran my fingers through his short, cropped hair. He deepened the kiss, and I knew why I hadn't run screaming from Emily's hospital room that day.

I loved Paul, with all my heart. Nothing would separate us.

I heard a small "oh!" from somewhere around us. I broke away from Paul, and looked around his arm. Bella had tripped over a rock, and I rushed over to help her.

"Are you okay?" I asked, helping her to her feet.

"Yeah, just a few scrapes," she smiled at me. "Thanks, Mel."

"No problem," I grinned. Paul had come up behind me, by this time. "Bella, this is Paul."

"Nice to meet you," she smiled shyly.

"Same to you," he said.

We walked back to the beach where they were starting a bonfire. More Quileute boys had shown up. When Lauren put Bella on the spot by telling how she invited Edward, her face turned beet red, and the three wolves around me stiffened.

"The Cullens don't come here," Sam said gruffly.

I looked away from him, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Well, in Sam's mind, he probably somehow blamed what happened to Emily on the Cullens. He probably thought that if Alice hadn't let Paul over the border, it never would've happened.

_Yeah right_.

Bella and a Quileute Boy, Jacob, took a walk. Paul, Jared, and Sam stared after them.

"Wanna go?" Paul whispered in my ear.

"And spy?" I asked, acting disgusted. "Let's go!" We snuck around behind Bella and Jacob and hid behind rocks.

"Did you know the Quileutes are supposedly descended from wolves?" I could barely hear Jacob and Bella spoke even softer than he did. I had no idea what either of them were saying; I could only catch snippets of their conversation.

Paul looked pissed off. "He's telling her!"

"Shhh! I can't hear anything!" I complained.

"It's just a scary story, Bella, it's not true," Jacob laughed, and then said something else.

"Crap!" Paul said before tackling me.

"What?!" I managed to choke out.

He grinned down at me, and then whispered, "They're coming this way."

I laughed at Paul, as he was tickling my sides, and pecked him on the lips. He got off me once they had passed and we went back to the bonfire; since it was dark, I got the real effect of the different colours of the flames. It was really gorgeous. Licks of orange and yellow shot into the sky, and there were even sparks of teal within the flames. I was sitting in between Jared and Paul. Paul was rubbing my back soothingly and I had my head on his shoulder. Everyone was having fun and in good spirits. Looking at Paul and Jared, they both seemed to be happy with each other. It was like they were brothers again, they weren't angry with each other and they were actually having fun.

It made me appreciate what I had with them a bit more. I mean, I still knew that the double imprint was a bad thing and would just cause a mess, but maybe I could bring them together somehow. Maybe I could help them to tolerate each other better.

It was a long shot, I knew that, but it didn't hurt to hope, right?


	14. Chapter 14: Unfair

**Chapter 14: Unfair**

That night when I got home from the beach, I hid our extra key under a little ceramic gnome we had. Yes, I had picked it out. He was really cute. Don't judge me, okay? He was the only gnome left, and is absolutely adorable.

Okay?

I went up to my room, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

When I woke up, I was the teeniest bit confused. What day was it today? Oh…Sunday. _Right_. Ah I didn't have to work till Johnny called me again. When did he say he was coming back? I thought hard about it, but couldn't concentrate long enough to remember.

I sighed happily, not wanting to get out of bed. It was too warm and comfortable.

"Hey sleepy head," my dad called, knocking on my door. "Are you going to get up anytime today at all?"

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Noon," he said.

Had I really slept that long? "I'll be out in a few minutes."

I dragged myself out of bed, and pulled a sweater on over the tank top I was wearing. I went downstairs to where my dad was waiting at the kitchen table.

"I heard there's a school dance coming up," he said.

"And?"

"Are you going?" he asked.

"Well, since Paul doesn't go to my school, and they probably won't like an outsider at the dance, I think that's a no," I said, crossing my arms.

"You should go with one of the boys here," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "No thanks. I think I'll just spend that day in La Push."

He pursed his lips.

"What?" I asked.

"You're spending an awful lot of time down there," he said. "And I don't like Sam Uley's gang."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "They aren't a gang, Dad!"

"I want you to stay away from them," he said sternly.

Where was this coming from?! "No." I said. "No, dad, I can't do that. I won't."

"Yes, you will," he argued. "You're my daughter, and I don't want you hanging out with the wrong crowd. Stay away from those boys."

"But, Paul hangs out with him," I objected, stating the obvious.

"I'm aware," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Dad, _please_," I begged. "They're helping La Push, they're not a gang. They're not trouble, and they're not violent."

"I've heard stories about them," he said. "They have bad tempers."

"Oh I'll be sure to pack pepper spray next time I go down, just in case one of them gets mad at me." I said angrily.

"Mel, I will ground you," he warned. "Don't give me attitude."

"You know what, dad?" I said. "You're being unreasonable. There are worse things out there than Sam Uley."

"I saw his girlfriend," he said quietly. "She has scars all down her face…"

"That was an accident," I said, gritting my teeth, not wanting to go into that. How could I explain it to him?

"What happened to her?" he asked.

Crap. "There was a wild dog, I think it had rabies or something," I lied. "And it got too close to Emily, and it scratched her; lots."

He didn't look like he bought it.

"You're grounded," he said.

I glared at him. "What did I do?"

"You gave me attitude," he said. "And you were going to try and defy what I said. You're only allowed out for school and work. That's it."

"For how long?" I asked.

"One month."

A month?! An entire month without being able to see Paul? He had to be joking.

"A month?" I sputtered.

"Yes," he said. "I'm not joking."

I stomped up to my room, and threw myself on my bed. One month without Paul. No way. Nope. I wouldn't do it. First, I would go crazy. Hell, I went crazy not seeing him every day. Second, he would go crazy.

I wasn't going to not see Paul for a month. There was absolutely nothing my dad could do about that. I would skip class to go see him if I had to. I would sneak out every night to see him. My dad would not stop Paul and me from being together.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

I flopped onto my bed, and went back to sleep, seeing as that was the only thing I could do on a Sunday when I was grounded. I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing.

"Hello?" I asked breathlessly.

"Mel?" Paul's urgent voice answered.

"Hey," I sighed happily.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" he asked worriedly. "It took everything in me not to come across the border and see if you were okay."

"Oh, no…I'm fine," I assured him. "I was asleep."

"Are you going to come down today?" he asked.

I ground my teeth. "No, my dad grounded me. I'm only allowed out of the house for school and work."

"Oh," he said, I could hear the disappointment clear in his voice.

"I know," I sighed. "It sucks."

He took a deep breath. "Yeah, it does."

I sighed and rolled onto my back. "I'll sneak out every night to see you if I have to."

"I don't want you to get in _more_ trouble," Paul objected. "Not because of me."

"My dad's asleep at ten o'clock every night." I said, rolling my eyes. "He'll never know. And there's no way I'm going a month without seeing you."

"You know there is an alternative…" he trailed off.

"Paul, I'm not moving in with you," I said forcefully. "We've been over this."

"I could always just take you…"

"No Paul," I said. "Chief Swan would be on your ass in a second, and he'd arrest you. And, my dad would probably think I left willingly, and he'd ground me for even longer."

I heard his sigh.

"Look, I know how badly you want me to move in with you, but I'm not eighteen yet, and I want to graduate at my high school."

"After graduation you'll come?"

"I promise," I said, smiling into the phone.

"Good," I could hear the smile in his voice. "I feel better when you're with me."

"I feel better when I'm with you, too," I said as my stomach growled.

"Even _I_heard that," Paul laughed. "Go get something to eat. I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too."

"Bye Mel."

"Bye Paul," I said, ending the call.

I padded down to the kitchen, and my dad was there reading a book. I didn't look at him as I poured myself some cereal and milk. I sat at the table across from him, not saying a thing. I quietly ate, while I could tell he was getting uncomfortable. He wanted to say something, but was waiting.

I chewed, waiting.

He put the book down and cleared his throat. I didn't look up.

"Mel," he said. I didn't look at him, and I didn't say anything. "I want you to go to that dance." Still, I didn't say anything so he sighed. "I know you're mad, but I'm just trying to keep you safe." I was probably as safe as anyone could be with three wolves helping me. "Say something," he practically begged. I knew stuff like this made him uncomfortable.

"Why do I have to go?" I asked, pissed off.

"It will be good for you to know boys at your school," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "I already know all the boys at my school; I've known them my entire life! When I finally get a good boyfriend, you want me to stay away from him! That's not going to happen, Dad."

He muttered something under his breath, and I didn't bother listening to what it was. He pushed away from the table, and wandered into the living room to watch TV. I rolled my eyes, and finished my cereal.

One thing I did know, I was definitely _not_ going to that dance.


	15. Chapter 15: Dance

**Chapter 15: Dance**

The dance was absolutely horrendous. I ended up just watching people. Eric ditched Angela to ask me to dance–twice. I felt bad for her, but she seemed to be really interested in Ben. Which was good, she wouldn't have to live through the horror of dating Eric that way. And while Jessica and Mike _seemed_ happy, I knew that they wouldn't last. I made a mental note to make a bet with someone on that. I sat in the corner the whole time, drinking a coke, and texting Paul.

He was super tired again. Stupid Sam. I cursed his name. Why did he not realize that the Cullens were definitely not a threat? They didn't want to risk a war just as much as the wolves, if not more. The Cullens just wanted to be able to live their lives peacefully, without too much attention drawn to them and what they were.

I sighed, and glanced down at what I was wearing–jeans and t-shirt. I bit back a laugh; every other girl here had gone over the top with their outfits. They were all wearing dresses and heels. I rolled my eyes. This wasn't prom, girls.

It's not like I cared, anyway. I would rather be with Paul. If my dad hadn't grounded me and made me come to the dance, I would be with Paul right now. In fact, I _should_be with Paul right now.

But, if I left the dance, one of the chaperones would tell him. He had made a deal with Mr. Newton; I had been _so _mad when Dad had told me that. He had actually got Mike Newton's dad to watch me at the dance. How embarrassing.

I groaned; I still had a few hours of this hell.

The music sucked, and there was no breathing room. I was getting stuffed up and beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic. This was _hell_. If Paul were here it would be a million times better. No, I wasn't bitter because I didn't have a date. I was bitter because my would-be date couldn't come here, and I was stuck here, away from him, for another twenty-eight days.

Yes, I was counting.

I got up, and told–not asked–Mr. Newton that I was going home. He called my dad, which made me ground my teeth together in annoyance while waiting for them to get off the phone. Mr. Newton gave me the okay and I did everything I could to bite back a retort, telling him that I definitely did _not_ need his permission to leave, and I practically bolted out of the gym. I drove home, loving the feeling of fresh air in my lungs. The air outside smelled good, it was a warm welcome compared to the stale, stuffy air of the gym. I pulled into my driveway and got out of my car, making a face at my dad's back as I saw him working in the garden.

"Wanna help me?" he asked, not looking up. He had heard my car pull into the driveway.

"Nope," I said, breezing by him into our house. I went for the fridge, and grabbed an apple. I washed it and crunched into it.

My dad came in the house then and came over to the sink to wash his hands. "How was the dance?"

"Awful," I said, going up to my room. I flopped onto my bed, and munched on my apple. I hated being grounded. I hated being away from Paul. Emily explained to me that the imprint only went one way that Paul had imprinted on me and it wasn't the other way around.

But it physically _hurt_ being away from him. Maybe Emily was wrong?

Then there was Jared, who seemed to always be in the way of Paul and my alone time. I felt like I should be glad to be getting a break from him, but I missed both Paul and Jared terribly. I didn't miss Jared the way that I missed Paul…but I did miss him, even though I didn't want to admit it.

It was weird being away from them after constantly being with them for the amount of time I had been. Over the past couple weeks I had spent majority of my spare time at Emily's place. Emily's place and La Push in general–and Paul's apartment of course…it all felt like home to me. La Push felt like a place where I belonged. I felt completely at ease there, and I knew that Paul was more comfortable with me there.

When I was old enough, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I would move to La Push. I would take Paul up on his offer and live with him. I honestly couldn't wait for that day to come.

Despite being grounded, I was actually in a pretty good mood. Yeah, I was still mad at my dad, but at least the dance was over with. Hopefully there wouldn't be any more dances that he would force me to go to between now and the end of my grounding.

I knew that he had my best interests at heart, but he knew absolutely nothing about the guys in La Push. He didn't–no, he _couldn't_ understand why they were deemed a "gang". There was absolutely no way he could _ever_ find out why everyone thought they were dangerous. If he did, Sam would probably have my head on platter for letting their secret out.

Yeah, like it'd be my fault.

I rolled over and dozed the night away, all thoughts of Sam leaving my mind.


	16. Chapter 16: Unstable

**Chapter 16: Unstable**

I drove home from school in a pretty good mood; I only had two more weeks until I could see Paul again. When I walked in the door of my house, my dad wasn't there. I shrugged, he was probably still at work. Wait–_was_ he working today? I think I could remember him saying something about going hunting with a couple friends of his, but I really couldn't be sure.

Johnny still hadn't called me. It was pissing me off a little bit, but he had personal stuff to do, and I could understand that. I sat down on the couch and went channel surfing. A few hours after old reruns of Friends, there was a knock at the door. Maybe Dad had forgotten his key. I really wouldn't be surprised. Rolling my eyes, I got up and went to the door.

I opened it to see Chief Swan standing there, his face ashen. Surprise and nervousness bubbled in the pit of my stomach. Why was Chief Swan here?

"Melanie Harmen?" he asked.

"Yes?" I answered.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," he said, looking down. My eyes widened and I felt my hands begin to shake. "There was another animal attack in the woods today." My heart rate increased. "And your father…he was out hunting." My hands started to shake harder as Chief Swan met my eyes grimly. "I'm so very sorry, Melanie."

That was when my world fell apart, and came crashing down around me. I really don't remember falling, but I do remember Chief Swan picking me up, and putting me back on the couch. I remember him saying _something_ to me before leaving my house, but I couldn't remember what it had been. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't speak. I couldn't bring myself to believe it.

No. No way. This was _not_ happening. He couldn't be…oh God…he couldn't be…_dead_. He would walk in the door at any minute.

I don't remember exactly when Chief Swan let himself out, but I knew at one point that he was gone. I curled up in a ball on the couch, and tried to make sense of everything. I did the only thing I could think to do.

"Paul, I need you." Was all I could choke out.

Less than twenty minutes later, Paul's strong, warm arms were around me, trying to soothe me and that's when it hit me. While I was curled in Paul's comforting embrace, it hit me like a wrecking ball.

My father was dead.

I buried my head in Paul's shoulder, and bawled my eyes out, but then I froze in horror, the realization dawning on me.

Chief Swan had said it was an animal attack. An _Animal _attack. I jumped away from Paul with a lot of emotions coursing through me. Disgust, horror, and anger were the most prominent.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern lacing his tone.

"You…" I gasped. "You did this to him!"

"What?" he asked, getting up as well.

"Chief Swan said it was an animal attack!" I said, voice rising, and tears streaming down my cheeks. "It was you and your pack of…_mutts!_"

"We didn't touch your father; we weren't even in the woods today," he tried to reason.

"It was you!" I yelled, heart breaking, horror and anger washing over me; through the horror and anger, I felt a pang of fear; if Paul had done this to my dad, he could just as easily do it to me, couldn't he? "How _could_ you?"

"It wasn't us!" he tried to defend himself.

"Do not lie to me, Paul," I practically growled.

"I'm not, Mel, please listen to me," he begged. "You're in a fragile state right now, everything will be okay, and you'll be okay. I promise you, it wasn't us. I would never do such a thing to your dad or anyone you love."

"No," I said. "I can't…I-I…"

He pulled me into his arms, I wanted to push him away, but couldn't do it. He was too strong and I was too weak–both emotionally and physically.

"I think I need to be alone right now," I whispered. "And you shouldn't be here, you'll get in trouble with Sam or the Cullens."

"I'm not leaving you," he said quietly but forcefully. "You should sleep, I'll stay down here, but I am not leaving you until I know that you're okay, Mel."

"The Cullens…" I started.

"Will understand what you're going through," he said immediately.

I bit my lip, not wanting to ask, but I had to. "What did this to him?"

"A vampire," He said, scowling.

"A Cullen?" I gasped, horror seeping into me.

"No, I don't think so. They don't feed on humans."

I thought about Jasper, and how Alice had told me he had the hardest time–no. I halted those thoughts immediately. She would stop him before it was too late. I went up to my room, and curled into a little a little ball on my bed.

My dad was dead and my mom was nowhere to be found, seeing as she hadn't called us since the day she landed in Florida. I knew that I should call her, but I just…I couldn't. I couldn't make that call just yet.

I had no idea how I managed to fall asleep, but when I woke up I felt oddly refreshed and good.

But then I remembered.

A whole slew of emotions ran through me, anger, sadness, guilt.

I felt dizzy sitting on my bed.

He was gone. I fell back on my bed, fighting the urge to cry out in pure agony. He was just gone. I would never see my father again. One day he was here, and healthy and happy, and the next he was just gone; ripped away from me far too early.

The thought sent a painful pang through me. How could this day get any worse? I went downstairs, where Paul was dozing on the couch. He looked relaxed, and I studied his features. His lips were slightly parted; his black hair was a bit mussed up from lying on my couch. He looked so handsome and also very adorable as he slept. I almost didn't want to wake him up–I could study him all day.

But then, I couldn't take it anymore and I sat on him. He woke up as if he could sense my presence and met my gaze. I just gazed back at him.

He held his arms out for me, and I fell into them, sobbing into his chest. I finally just let it all out; I cried my eyes out while Paul comforted me. He held me and just let me cry. He didn't say anything, didn't try to stop me, didn't do anything except be my security blanket. It was honestly the best thing he could do for me. I didn't want to hear him tell me that everything would be okay, I didn't want him to lie to me, and I just needed him to be there for me.

And he did that, he did exactly what I needed from him. My phone rang, and Paul answered it.

"There's a situation," he said in a clipped tone. His tone told me exactly who it was. Pause. "I have to be here with her." Pause. "No, I'm not leaving until she's stable on her own." Pause. "Treaty or no treaty, there's been an emergency here, and she needs me." Pause. "Maybe you should ask your own kind." He snapped. "I'll be here until she doesn't need me; I'm not leaving her side." He ended the call and squeezed me tightly

"Is everything okay?" I whispered.

"Yes. Don't worry," he cast a weak smile my way.

"Okay," I said. I couldn't bring myself to think about it anymore. I couldn't allow my mind to think about what that call had been about. My thoughts were on my dad and the memories I had shared with him.


	17. Chapter 17: Condolences

**Chapter 17: Condolences**

There wasn't any type of formal funeral. I hadn't had the mindset to arrange that on my own, and I couldn't…I couldn't stand through that on my own. I didn't even know where my mom was, and I couldn't have a funeral for Dad without her here–that didn't seem right to me. Paul stood beside me as the casket was lowered into the grave of the small cemetery.

I fought back the tears that were threatening to come to the surface any second; Paul squeezed my hand, comforting me.

I took a deep breath; I wanted to leave. I just wanted to get out of here. I cast a desperate glance at Paul, he understood immediately, and pulled me away and to his car.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he drove.

"Yes. I'll be fine," I smiled weakly at him.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I don't care. Anywhere will be fine."

He smiled. "We'll just drive around for a bit."

"Okay," I smiled, taking his hand. I was pissed off at my mom. I had called her a whole bunch of times, but she didn't pick up any time. It was absolutely ridiculous. Shouldn't she know what was going on? I had left her a ton of messages; maybe she was just being a bitch and not answering.

Whatever. It was her fault if she didn't care anymore. I sighed and Paul squeezed my hand. I didn't really want to think about her.

"I want to go home," I said quietly. "I need some alone time."

"Mel, I don't want to leave you there alone."

"Paul, please," I begged. "I just need to be alone right now."

He cast a sidelong glance at me. "If that's really what you want…"

"It is."

He drove to my house, and kissed me lightly on my cheek before I got out. I went up to my room, and fell onto my bed. On my bed, alone, I realized that I shouldn't have asked Paul to let me be alone; being alone just made me think more about everything that had happened.

It made me feel even worse. I knew that I wouldn't be going to go to school for a bit, I needed some time to feel better about this. I curled into a ball, a tiny part of me still in denial.

He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. I felt tears roll down my cheeks. I knew he wouldn't ever come home to me again. It wasn't possible.

My phone rang.

"Hello?" I managed to choke out.

"Oh Mel I heard!" came Alice's tinkling voice. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," I murmured.

"Do you know what caused this?" she asked.

"Paul told me it was a…a vampire," I said. There was absolute silence on the other end. I held my breath, waiting for her to say something.

"A vampire?" she asked. "No, it couldn't have been. We don't hunt humans."

"Paul said it probably wasn't you," I said. I heard a tiny sigh of relief escape her lips. "So there are more vampires in town?" I asked, trying to get my mind off other things.

"I guess so," She said. "It's probably just passing through. We'll keep an eye out, though."

"Thank you, Alice," I said.

"You know, where you live may not be the safest place for you right now, and you'll get awfully lonely and I mean, they are probably lots of memories there that you may not want to deal with right now…" she trailed off.

"And?" I prompted.

"Well, I was thinking, maybe you could come here and live with us." I froze on the other end of the line. No way, I couldn't live with the Cullens… "It will be good for Jasper, seeing as it looks like Bella's going to be around a lot more now."

"No, Alice I can't," I said sadly. "Paul wouldn't be able to handle the smell, and I can't be away from him." I heard her sigh, so I barreled on. "Alice, I'd love to live with you, you know that, but I can't."

"Look, I know you'll be lonely, maybe you could just stay over for a few nights?" she offered.

"No, I can't. You have a vampire to find, remember?" I said.

"Promise you'll spend the night in the summer or something?"

"I promise."

"Good," her voice had brightened immensely. It made me feel a bit better too.

"Alice, I want to sleep," I said, trying as hard as I could not to sound rude.

"Go to sleep and feel better, Mel."

"Bye Alice," I said, hanging up.

I fell asleep as soon as I put my head on the pillow.

I woke up feeling gross. I was still in my clothes from whenever we had been to the cemetery. When had that even been? I checked my clock. Midnight.

I could guess that it was yesterday, then. What day was it today? No idea. If it was a school day, was I going? No chance in hell.

I sighed, feeling miserable. I didn't want to eat, didn't want to talk to anyone, and I definitely didn't want to do anything. I lay in bed for a long time, just staring up at the ceiling. I was just trying not to think about _anything_.

My phone rang.

Who the hell was calling me?! It wasn't even five o'clock yet!

"Hello?" I growled into my phone.

"Oh Mel! I just heard! I'm so sorry!" Jessica's voice said, she sounded like she had been crying.

"Thanks," I muttered, not wanting to talk about it. "Why are you up so early?"

"Oh, I went for a run this morning, I couldn't sleep," she said. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "I have to look my best for Mike!"

Oh, so they actually were an item now? Good luck to them.

"Okay," I said.

"Are you coming to school today?" she asked.

"No," I said. "I-I can't just yet."

"Okay," she said. "I'll let you rest. Come back soon."

"Bye Jess," I said, and hung up. I stayed on my back, just staring up at the ceiling until I fell asleep again.


	18. Chapter 18: Not Ready

**Chapter 18: Not Ready**

A week or so later, there was a knock on my door at seven thirty in the morning. I didn't make a move to answer it, but of course the knocking persisted. I didn't care, I was still in bed and I was super comfy. A few seconds later, Alice was standing in my doorway, looking at me expectantly with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Get up," she commanded.

"Why?" I groaned.

"You need to get to school," she said. "You can't just stop going, Mel."

"I don't want to go," I said stubbornly, crossing my arms tightly over my chest.

"You can't afford to miss anymore," she said.

I sighed. She was right. "Alice, I-I can't…it's too hard right now."

She sat on my bed, features softening. "I know it's hard, but you can't miss too much. Spring break is coming up; I think you should get back before then, at least."

"Alice, not today, please?" I practically begged.

"Nope," she said, pulling my covers off of me. I groaned. "Go shower," she commanded. "I'll find something for you to wear."

I rolled out of bed, and hopped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing on my tight muscles, and my hair really did need a good wash. I'm sure I stood under the water for a good ten minutes, simply because it felt so good. I dried myself off, brushed through my hair and saw Alice holding up an outfit for me.

"No way," I said.

"Why?" she pouted.

"I'm not wearing _those_ shorts! Do you see how short they are?! It's freezing outside!"

"Fine," she pouted, searching for a pair of jeans. I pulled on the jeans and tank top she had picked out for me. I looked at her when I was done, cocking an eyebrow, waiting for her input.

"Hair," was all she said, grinning wickedly. What had I gotten myself into? She sat me down, and pulled a blow dryer out of her purse.

"How did you fit that in there?" I gasped.

"Shhh," she hushed, turning it on.

She dried my hair, and then brought out a curling iron. How she worked them without using a plug was beyond me, battery operated perhaps? She curled my hair, and it did look good, but for something like prom, not a regular school day.

She fixed my side bangs, and smiled at me. Then, of course, she put make up on me.

"I'm driving!" she sang.

"You really don't need to…" I objected.

"I like your car," she grinned. "It can go pretty fast, not like Bella's."

"I actually like Bella's truck," I said. "It's vintage."

"Yeah, but it doesn't go fast," she complained. I sighed as she pushed me out the front door. I really wasn't looking forward to today.

"I forgot my bag," I said.

"It's in the car," she said, getting in the driver's side of my car.

"How did you get my keys?" I asked, once in the passenger seat.

"It's a talent. Plus, you take really long showers," she grinned.

I glowered out the window. Why had Alice made me do this? I didn't want to face everybody yet. I sighed quietly as Alice pulled into the parking lot, of course getting the best spot.

She got out, and looked at me through the window. I stared back. I couldn't do this, not today. Not now, it was too early. I couldn't face everyone today.

She let out a breath of exasperation, and got back in.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I-I can't do it yet," I said, feeling the weight of today on my shoulders and feeling anxiety bubble in the pit of my stomach.

She closed her car door, and restarted the car. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere," I said.

And so, we did.


	19. Chapter 19: Helping out Bella

**Chapter 19: Helping out Bella**

Alice took me to Port Angeles; she was practically bouncing with excitement. She was driving me insane as we made our way through a mall. I was pretty sure this was her favourite mall in Port Angeles; this was where we had come last time.

"Why are you so excited?" I finally had to ask.

"Edward's letting us meet Bella!"

I smiled, but I knew it didn't reach my eyes. It wasn't that I wasn't happy for Alice being able to finally meet her; it was that my head was still clouded with thoughts of my dad–it was killing me. But Alice gushing about meeting Bella was a very welcome distraction. "Congrats."

"I'm so excited!" she gushed. "Finally I get to _talk_to her!"

I glowered at her as she shoved me into the fitting room to try a bunch of stuff on. It all fit perfectly–of course. I got out of the fitting room, and Alice grabbed the clothes from me. There were so many they almost swallowed her whole.

"Go over there into Coach, and find yourself a purse," she commanded.

"Alice, no!" I objected. "Do you know how much _anything_ in that store costs?!"

She gave me a look that said, _obviously, now go!_ But I didn't budge.

She glowered at me. "You are _so_ difficult."

She paid for all my clothes, which I didn't like much–and she knew that–but there was no way to say no to Alice when she was shopping. I was surprised I had managed to stop her from literally throwing me into Coach. I was getting better at this!

We walked out of the clothing store, and she sat me down on a bench outside Coach. She threw all of the bags on me.

"Wait here," she said as I tried to glare at her through the mountain of bags. I couldn't dig my way out. There were too many bags! She was back not five minutes later, she put some of the bags on the ground, and was holding up a new purse. Okay, it was pretty nice. It was black, with a medium length strap, and a little chain on it. Of course, the Coach design was emblazoned on it, but that just added to the purse.

"How much was it?" I asked, knowing I probably wouldn't get an answer.

"None of your beeswax," she grinned. She pulled a matching wallet out of the purse. "You like it?"

I sighed. "I love it. Thank you Alice."

"Good!" she grinned. "We need to find something for Bella, to welcome her to the family. I was thinking about getting her a car…"

"Alice, she doesn't really seem like a material girl." I said. "You know she loves her truck, and isn't into wearing designer clothes."

Alice pouted. "What can I buy her then?"

"Nothing," I said, smiling. "I think with Bella, the little things count more than money. For her, she doesn't need people to go crazy buying her things."

"I'm glad _you_ can take gifts," she grumbled.

"Don't get used to it," I warned seriously. "I don't want you spending a lot of money on me."

Alice laughed. "You have no idea. This isn't even half of it."

I groaned. Maybe I had helped Bella a bit; I could tell that she hated being the centre of attention from how she acted at school. She hated answering questions, and hated presenting things more than anyone else. She would always get all nervous, and blush a lot. There was something weird about Edward, though. He had approached me a bunch of times to ask me about her. And he wanted me to keep track of her on the rare sunny days. Which was weird, because wouldn't Alice just _know_ what was happening to her?

Maybe that van accident had scared him.

I had to bite back a laugh. The van had scared _him_? He had probably been more scared than Bella had. We were in the car by then, and I had burst out laughing. Alice stared at me.

"Nothing," I managed to choke out through fits of giggles.

"Okay then," she muttered as if I was a crazy person, driving back to Forks.


	20. Chapter 20: Caught in the Middle

**Chapter 20: Caught in the Middle**

I managed the rest of the week of school, and then the week after that was Spring Break, which was good. It was Wednesday morning; I had spent the night with Paul in La Push in his little apartment.

No, we hadn't _done_anything.

I was curled against his side, he was snoring lightly. My phone rang and I almost growled. Who the hell was calling me?

"Hello?" I asked, annoyed.

"Mel?" Alice's worried voice came into my ear.

Alice, sounding worried? This made _me _worried immediately. "What's wrong?" I asked, sitting upright in bed.

"We need your help," she said quickly. "I'm not in Forks. Something happened. There's a vampire, and he's tracking Bella. He wants to either turn her, or drain her–we aren't sure."

"What do you need from me?" I asked, going into the bathroom, where Paul hopefully wouldn't hear me.

"Well…" she said, taking a deep breath. "Edward had this idea…you look a little bit like Bella, I mean, you're basically her height, and your hair is black, but Bella's hair is pretty dark anyway; you're both pale, the eye colour's wrong, but that's okay, he won't look at that…" She trailed off.

"Alice, what is it? Spit it out," I prompted.

"He wants to use you as bait," she said.

"_Bait_?" I repeated.

"Yeah, to lead the tracker into a trap," she said. "You'd just have to stand there, wearing something of hers. You wouldn't actually go with him, Rosalie, Edward, and Emmett would make sure of that."

Paul banged on the bathroom door. "Open it, Mel."

"Alice, I have to go," I said.

"No!" Paul snapped. "I want to talk to her."

"Let him talk to me," Alice sighed. I opened the door to see Paul looking thunderous. I handed him my phone, barely meeting his eyes. He yelled at Alice, telling her there was no way I was going to be put in danger for a 'leech's' human. As Paul yelled at Alice, I cleaned his apartment to keep my mind off of his yelling, and to keep my mind off what Alice had asked me. I didn't want to think about it, but I knew I'd have to at some point. I made his bed, tidied things up, and ate breakfast.

He was still yelling, so I took a shower. When I got out of the shower he was still yelling at her so I blow dried my hair, straightened it, got dressed, put on makeup.

He wasn't yelling anymore, but he looked angry, and he was still on the phone.

I held my hand out for it. He shook his head at me and I gave him a _look_. He sighed and handed it to me. Alice was in the middle of a rant to him.

"If Mel was in the kind of danger Bella is in, you would want Bella to do this for you," she said hotly. I had never heard her take this tone of voice before.

"Alice."

"Oh, hey Mel," she said.

"What do I have to do?"

Alice had told me to meet Edward at their house; she gave me directions, and granted Paul permission to come across the border with me. It was a very, very quiet drive there.

Finally, he said something.

"What are you thinking, Mel?" he asked.

"That I'm needed," I said with a shrug.

"You don't have to do this," he said. "Please, if you were to get hurt, I couldn't live with myself."

"Paul, I owe Alice this," I said. "She's done so much for me, she's helped me out with all the school work I've missed, she's taken me shopping, she's helped me through everything with my dad and she's stuck by me at school. I owe her this, and besides, Bella's my friend."

He looked at me, begging with his eyes, I looked away quickly, unable to face the desperation in his eyes, turning onto the Cullens' long driveway. I drove up to the house, where Edward was waiting outside. If the circumstances weren't so serious, I would've laughed at the way both Edward and Paul's noses crinkled at the exact same time once we got out of the car.

"Thank you for coming," Edward addressed me–and only me. "Come inside."

Paul and I walked hand-in-hand into the Cullens' massive house. I gripped Paul's hand tightly–I was nervous. We followed Edward into their unneeded dining room, where there was a long table that was never used for eating, with four of the Cullen family members sitting around it; Edward went to the head of the table.

Having so many gorgeous people in one room was overwhelming–and it took a shot at my self-esteem. I sat down next to Mrs. Cullen, who was the least intimidating of the group. Paul didn't sit; he lingered in the doorway. He was obviously uncomfortable, and I felt guilt stab at me. I should've told him to stay at the apartment. Well, he probably wouldn't have anyway.

Rosalie smiled warmly at me, which was surprising; I had only ever seen her scowl before. Emmett was grinning–of course, Dr. Cullen's face was ashen, and Mrs. Cullen's face was kind, with a small smile that didn't touch her eyes. I could tell that she was worried. Edward was grimacing.

All of their noses were crinkled, and I heard a small laugh from Rosalie. Her thoughts were probably along the same lines as mine were. For some odd reason, I felt a connection to her. She and I had never spoken–hell, I had never really spoken to any of the Cullens except for Alice, Jasper and Edward, but I felt like I could be very close friends with Rosalie.

"What's funny?" Edward growled at her.

"Nothing," she snapped.

"Melanie, we're sorry to drag you into this," Dr. Cullen addressed me.

"It's okay, Dr. Cullen," I said. "Bella's my friend, and I'm the only friend of hers who really knows about all this. And besides, Alice has helped me a lot over the past few weeks."

"Please, call me Carlisle," he said, smiling. I nodded, returning his smile.

"We need you to pretend to be Bella," Edward said, very business-like. "Rosalie will take you out to the forest, pretending to be giving you to the tracker. We'll attack him when he comes for you." I heard a small growl from behind me. "You're wolf won't be allowed to come," he said, meeting Paul's eyes. I examined his expression and he looked almost nervous at saying that to Paul

"Why?" I asked desperately. Paul would _not_ like this. _I _didn't like it very much either.

"The tracker will be able to smell him right away," Edward explained.

"No," Paul said. "I'm coming, or she isn't." Edward and Paul locked gazes. They each had a big part of their lives at stake here.

"Fine," Edward said. "You'll just have to keep your distance."

"I will," Paul said immediately.

"So, basically I just have to stand there, looking like Bella?" I asked.

"Yes," Edward said. "We have some of her clothes here, so you can smell like her, too."

"Okay," I said.

"Come with me," Rosalie said. "I'll get you into her clothes." I followed Rosalie up the stairs to where I'm sure her bedroom was. She picked up a pair of jeans, a coat, and a sweater off of her bed with a look of distaste on her face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, pulling on Bella's jeans. They fit!

"Bella is…well let's just say she isn't my favourite person," she said carefully, handing me the sweater.

"Why?" I blurted, and then blushed. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry–"

She laughed, oh my goodness she looked even more beautiful with a sincere smile like that on her face–if that was even possible. "Don't worry. I guess, in a way, I'm jealous of her. I never caught Edward's attention–not that I ever truly wanted it–I know that Carlisle turned me hoping Edward and I would be together, but I never caught his eye. I never loved Edward; he was far too irritating for my taste. But, the fact that he didn't fall in love with me the moment he saw me was…well it angered me. And now, he's attracted to a plain human girl." She glanced quickly at me. "No offense."

"None taken," I said truthfully. "So, Carlisle changed you so Edward could have someone?" I pulled on the coat.

"Not really, but I know that's what he hoped for when he did turn me," she explained. "He found me, on the road, dying. My fiancée, at the time, and his friends, had…done things to me, and left me to die out in the cold. I was too far past saving any other way, so he had to turn me. There was no other choice for me."

"I'm sorry," I said.

She waved it away, sad smile on her face. "That's all in the past."

"There's something bothering you, though," I said, biting my lip. "Do you…not like this life?"

"I would never pick this life for anyone," she said. "As a woman, you can never give birth, and I've never heard of males being able to reproduce. Our kind is at the end of the biological line. We can't reproduce. My dream was always to mother a child, and now that dream has been taken away from me."

Wow. I looked down. I had never seen it that way.

"Come on, there's no time to lose," she said. "We have work to do." I followed the Cullens outside into the forest, Paul walked behind me. We got to a point in the forest where Edward made Paul stop.

"He'll smell you if you come any further." I looked at Paul, he went to wrap me tightly in his arms, and I was completely willing, but Edward stopped him. I could tell Edward was sorry; I was just worried Paul wouldn't understand. "You can't touch her, he'll smell it."

The look on Paul's face broke my heart. "It will be okay," I whispered.

He nodded. "Be careful."

"I'll be fine," I promised.

I walked away from him, glancing back every few steps, hoping that this wouldn't be the last time I ever saw him.

"Rub against the tree," Edward said quietly after a while. I rubbed my arm against it.

"That's good," he said, and we pressed on. Every few feet, Edward would tell me to press against a tree, after a while, we came to a clearing.

"You two stay here," Edward said. "We'll surround you, and when he comes, we'll get him. Rosalie, call out for him, tell him you have Bella. Melanie, keep your head down, and put your hood up."

I did as he was told, and watched as the Cullens ran off. Rosalie waited with her head cocked, she was listening for him.

"Okay," she breathed into my ear, then yelled. "James! I have her! I have Bella!" I kept my head down, Rosalie grasped my arms. "Struggle a bit," she whispered in my ear. I struggled, fighting against her grip. "James!" Rosalie yelled again. "I have her, you can take her! I don't have much time!"

Not too long after that, I felt Rosalie's arms come off me. I didn't look up. But then I was picked up.

"NO!" I heard Rosalie scream.

I was flying through the air-I was on someone's back. No, I wasn't flying; I was riding. I was bouncing on someone's back as they raced through the forest. We stopped a while later, in a warehouse. I was dropped off whoever's back I was on...I felt a bit nauseous, even though I had had my eyes shut tight the entire time. The man turned, and I fought a scream.

I was staring right into ruby red eyes.


	21. Chapter 21: My Fault

**Chapter 21: My Fault**

I was frozen in shock. The tracker stared at me with a look of pure confusion on his face, and then rage seeped into his features. My hands began to shake at the expression on his face. I was absolutely terrified.

"They tried to trick me?!" he exploded. "How _dare_ they try to trick me?! Did they actually think they would get away with this?" I was frozen, staring at his pale complexion, light coloured hair, ruby red eyes. Finally, after he had ranted for a little bit, he said, "You look like your mother." I stared at him in shock. What? How did he know my mother? "Her name is Talissa, right?" he asked, I nodded, voice not working just yet. "We just wanted her blood. But no, Laurent had to have his fun with her." He rolled his eyes. "She makes a good vampire." My mom was a vampire? "And your father…now he was just delicious," he said, licking his lips. He was in front of me in a split second. "As for you…I think you'll taste the same as he did."

"Where's my mom?" I asked, voice coming back all of a sudden.

He laughed. "Sorry, I can't tell you that."

I looked away from him. "Please."

"Nope," he said with another laugh. He buried his face in my neck. "You smell just like your father did." This was it, this was the end. I felt his hands go around my neck.

_I love you, Paul,_ I thought as tears rolled down my cheeks. And then his hands suddenly came away from my neck.

"You didn't really think I would end it that soon for you did you?" he asked, smiling wickedly. "You're dad put up quite a fight; I'm surprised you're not doing the same." I looked at him, trying to stop the tears. His hands lingered down to my foot. He grasped the bottom of my pant leg, near and my shoe then snapped my ankle. I bit back the scream that tried to escape.

"You're a little toughie," he teased. His hand moved to my arm, then snapped it at the elbow. This time the scream escaped my mouth.

"Not as tough as you may think," he grinned.

I began to lose feeling throughout my body. My broken limbs seemed to be floating away. The ground was cold beneath me, but that was all I could feel.

Cold…cold and numb.

Oddly enough, though, I felt peaceful. Maybe I had subconsciously accepted that I was going to die. Maybe I had made peace with myself that these would be my last living moments. I idly wondered if this was how my dad had felt in the final moments of his life as well. Or…had my dad fought until the very end? Had he fought as hard as he could against James and Laurent and Victoria?

I wasn't too sure. Would he be proud of me for my actions or would he think I had been foolish? I could only imagine him being disappointed. I mean, I'd be nervous too if I were my own parent.

"It's so hard to resist you," I heard James growl menacingly. I couldn't concentrate on his words. What he had said to me hadn't registered. I was slipping away. I could feel myself going. This was it. I felt lightheaded, my ears were ringing slightly. I felt teeth on my wrist, but didn't process it at the moment. I somehow heard a soft moan escape from him, but it was faint. Very faint. My wrist was burning and tingling, so I made a feeble attempt to pull my wrist away from him, but his grip was strong.

_Just let it end fast,_ I begged silently.

"Get off of her!" commanded a husky voice. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Paul's face hovering above mine, worried eyes searching mine, and then, everything went black.

Was I dead? I idly hoped so. I wasn't in any pain and I was floating. Didn't people talk about a bright white light at the end of a tunnel? Where was that? All there was here was darkness. There was no light anywhere. I felt as though I was suffocating in the darkness, but then I saw light. It was as if I was seeing it through…something. It was there, I could almost see it, but it was more like it was imprinted into my brain.

Did this mean I wasn't dead?

My thoughts turned to Paul. _Oh no,_ he's probably heartbroken. If I'm dead, he's probably got no idea what to do with himself. Jared will be heartbroken. My poor, poor boys…but maybe…maybe this will bring them together. Maybe the grief over losing me will bring them together and force them to tolerate each other.

I delved deeper into the darkness, taking comfort in it, not knowing nor caring if I came out of it or not.

When I finally opened my eyes, I didn't know where I was, but my head hurt. My wrist had gauze wrapped around it, and both my arm and ankle had casts. I looked around. I was in a hospital. The fluorescent lights stung at my eyes.

Why was I…?

_Oh_.

Now I remembered. Now I remembered everything the tracker told me about my mom and my dad. I fought back the tears. My mom was a vampire and James had killed my dad.

"Mel?" Paul's husky voice asked from somewhere to my left.

I slowly turned to look at him. He was standing in the doorway, looking at me like I was made of glass. The expression on his face made my heart throb. I had failed him. I had promised him that I would be fine, and now look at me. I was in the hospital and I had almost died.

"Are you okay?" he asked, quietly, not coming in the room any further. I nodded, throat feeling tight; I couldn't quite speak just yet. He looked down. "I'm so sorry."

What?! _He_ was sorry? "What?" I whispered.

"I let you go out there, and look what happened," he said with a bitter edge to his voice. "I never should have allowed it."

"Paul, come here," I said. He didn't budge. "Fine," I muttered, getting up. I limped over to him, but by now he had come over to try and force me back into bed.

"You listen to me," I said forcefully, finding my voice again, and surprised at how strong it sounded. "Don't hold yourself responsible for this mess. It's _my_ fault I'm in here. _I_was the stupid one who agreed to do this. This isn't your fault or the Cullens fault. It's _my_ fault. Got it?"

He looked down at me. "I hate seeing you like this." He motioned to my casts and gauze wrapped arm.

My heart squeezed. "I'm alive, and I'm not in too much pain. That's all that counts."

He helped my back into the hospital bed and sat in the chair beside it. "You lost a lot of blood when he drank from you." I nodded. I had assumed this. "It's because of Dr. Cullen that you're alive…I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank him enough."

"Where are we?" I asked quietly.

"Jacksonville," he answered. "The tracker found Bella's real path, and followed her here, the Cullens had to come here, and you obviously couldn't get treated by a regular doctor. So they brought you here so Carlisle could treat you and Bella together."

"Is Bella okay?" I asked, lip trembling.

"Yeah, he bit her, and broke her leg. Edward sucked the venom out of her," he said. "I think she's in better shape then you are."

"Is she awake?"

"Not yet, at least I don't think so. I've been here with you. I just left to grab a coffee," he said, holding up the cup I hadn't noticed in his hand.

"They turned my mom," I said. "Or, at least I think they did. He kept going on about how much fun she was...and how she was such a good vampire. And my dad…" I trailed off.

"Did they turn him, too?" Paul asked, squeezing my hand.

"No," I whispered. "They didn't. They just killed him." I added bitterly.

"Mel, it's okay," he said. "If your mom is one of them, we'll find her, and get some answers, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, nodding.

"Mel?" Alice's tinkling voice came from outside.

"Come in, Alice."

Alice was beside my bed, on the other side of Paul, in a second.

"I'm so sorry!" she said.

"It's not your fault," I waved off her apology before she could launch into a big long speech about it.

"You're in here because of us," she pointed out.

"But I'm alive because of Carlisle. So it's all good."

"We're paying for all the bills, okay?" she said. "And we're going to cover the bills for your house too, since you're the only one living there now."

"I was actually thinking of her moving in with me," Paul said. My head snapped around to stare at him. Was he serious? "Yeah, I just invited you to live with me." He grinned wolfishly at me. "Will you?"

"I have school…" I trailed off, biting my lip.

"You can drive there," he said. "Or I can drive you. I don't mind."

"We'll pay your bills," Alice chimed in. "I promise, rent, utilities, all that. It's the least we could do, honest."

"Are you serious?" I asked, not sure to whom.

"Yes." They both said at the same time.

"I'll move in with you, then, Paul." I smiled, and then I turned to Alice. "Thank you so much, Alice."

"You deserve it," she said.

"Is Bella awake yet?" I asked.

"Not yet," she said. "And I can't see when she'll wake up, either." She turned her attention back to Paul. "Paul, I need to ask you something."

"Yes?" he asked warily.

"I would like to have Mel at least one night a week?" she asked. "Please, she's my friend, too."

He sighed quietly. "Fine. Just not too long a time, okay?"

"Deal!" she grinned. "And I guess I could grant you permission into Forks for prom…"

"Prom?" I repeated. "No way. I can't go to prom like _this_! And they probably wouldn't let Paul in."

Alice rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that. I can be very convincing, in case you hadn't already figured that out."

I groaned and she grinned. Rosalie came in a few minutes later.

"Mel, I'm so sorry. I tried to stop him, but he was too fast for me," she said, coming over to where Alice was standing. I could see how upset she was about it clear on her face.

"It's okay," I said. "I'm fine now. Your dad fixed me right up." She smiled at me, but it didn't touch her eyes. I could see that she was beating herself up about it, but I didn't know what more I could say to make her feel better.

I looked around at my friends and boyfriend. I was surrounded by monsters, and I couldn't have asked for anything else. This was my life now. Vampires and shape shifters existed all around me, unknown to most humans. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.

And I loved it.


	22. Chapter 22: Finally Happy

**Chapter 22: Finally Happy**

Paul helped me move out of the house. Alice put it up for sale, and promised me that everything would be taken care of. I stood in my empty childhood room, looking around. The realization hit like a wrecking ball that I would never be sleeping here again. I wasn't sad about leaving, there were too many bad memories here for me to bear. Living with Paul would be a good thing. It would be better for me to turn my back on all the memories here.

I hoped.

No, it would be. He wouldn't go crazy worrying about me, and the Cullens would know I was safe. Well…at least Alice would. I knew that she didn't like the wolves, but she could tolerate Paul.

That was really all I needed.

Jared was glad I was moving to La Push, too. I _really _wasn't sure how I felt about that. I can vaguely remember feeling a twinge of remorse at realizing that Jared was going to lose me too, when I was in that half dead state when I had been in the hospital, but did that mean anything? Did it have to mean anything? I mean, of course I'd be upset about causing Jared this grief. Ugh. This was just too confusing.

Paul was leaning against his car in front of my house. "Ready?"

I nodded, and got into the passenger side. My car was already at Paul's building waiting for me. I sighed quietly as he sped to La Push. I knew he was still the slightest bit uncomfortable being in Forks. Since there were no vampires around that were hunting people, he didn't have to be on watch at night anymore–at least that's what I had been told, but I could see the lines of exhaustion creasing his face.

I made sure Sam knew the Cullens wouldn't come across the border, so there was no reason for them to have to be on guard–right?

That made both Emily and me happy. We got to have more time with our boys. I had even been spending a bit of time with Jared. I toyed with the cast on my wrist. Neither Paul nor I had spoken much this car ride. I could feel the tension between us. It was as though we had gotten into a fight and neither of us quite knew how to handle the other, or we were about to get into an argument and we could both feel it brewing.

"Why did you go there, Mel?" Paul finally asked quietly.

"I told you already. Alice helped me out a lot. She helped my catch up on my school work, helped around the house, and helped me deal with everything. Besides, Bella's my friend."

"You could've been killed," he said softly, I noticed how he had gripped the steering wheel tighter at saying that. "You almost were."

"But I wasn't," I said. "I knew the risks when I went out there with them. I knew what could've happened, and I knew that I had to do it."

He sighed. "I hated staying behind."

"I know you did," I said quietly.

"He could've turned you," he said, I could hear distaste burn his words.

I didn't know what to say, so I just looked out the window. James could have turned me. Right now, I could be a vampire. That was insane. But was it _that_ bad of a thing to happen? I mean, was that the worst possible thing to happen to me? I wasn't too sure. Would it be so bad to be a vampire? I mean, sure Paul wouldn't like the smell very much, but he'd get used to it…right?

Now that I thought back on what I had done, it was totally insane! What was I, crazy? Paul was right. I never should have done that. But I had, and there was no taking it back now.

As Paul pulled into the parking lot of his building, next to my car, I stopped thinking about what had happened and instead thought about the task at hand–unpacking.

I really didn't have much to unpack, just some clothes and toiletries. I had brought a dresser, but Paul loaded his clothes into it, and cleared out his closet for me. The closet was a lot bigger than the dresser. I had already put everything away, so I plopped down onto Paul's bed.

Correction: Paul and _my_ bed.

I looked around, and then my eye caught something sticking out on one of my sweaters that I had thrown on the bed. It was an envelope? On the front in really fancy writing it said my name. I tore it open, and out fell a note.

_**Melanie,**_

_**I don't know how I can thank you enough for helping us save Bella's life. You got hurt, I know, but we killed James. You and Bella are both alive, and that's all that matters. Please, don't hold my family to blame for what happened, even though it was our fault, please don't hate us. We never wanted you to get hurt. Rosalie felt awful that you got hurt and Alice was as close to crying as we can get when I called her and told her. James bit you, but only drank from you; there was no venom in your system, so you don't need to worry about that.**_

_**Thank you so much. **_

_**-Edward Cullen**_

Wow. I never would've expected Edward to write a note to me _apologizing_ for what happened. I decided to write him back. My writing wasn't even close to as perfect as his, but I did my best.

_**Edward,**_

_**Of course I don't hold you responsible for what happened to me. You shouldn't hold yourself responsible for my stupidity, okay? Thank you, for everything you all have done for me; paying for my hospital bills, helping me recover, all that. Alice has been a**____**huge**____**help to me and Rosalie has been really nice to me through this whole thing. Without either of them, I don't know how I would've gotten through everything, and without your dad, I probably wouldn't be alive. I owe your family my life.**_

_**Thank **__**you**__** so much.**_

_**-Mel**_

I wasn't really sure how I was going to get that to him, but somehow I would. I'd probably slip it into his locker at school next week, or give it to Alice to give to him.

I sat on my new bed, staring around in wonder. This was my new home. I lived with Paul. No one could ever take that away from me.

No one on the face of this planet was happier than I was right now.

In my own little cloud of bliss, I lay back on the pillows, and closed my eyes, taking comfort in the warmth of Paul's bed.


	23. Chapter 23: Home

**Chapter 23: Home**

Going back to school after Spring Break was hard. I woke up at seven o'clock on Monday morning, not wanting to go. Paul groaned and rolled over, covering his head with the pillow to drown out the sound of the alarm clock.

I groaned and rolled out of bed. I literally rolled, and almost fell face-first onto the floor. Today was going to be bad. I had a weird feeling in my stomach that it would just suck. I pulled on some clothes, not caring what I was wearing, and finished getting ready to leave.

I tried to sneak out without Paul hearing, and I was so paranoid about him not hearing me, I walked right into him when he blocked me from walking out the front door. He pulled me into his arms.

"You weren't going to try and sneak out without me knowing, did you?" he asked.

I smiled. "Of course not."

"You suck at lying," he said.

"Kiss me already, or I'll be late."

He met my gaze evenly. "You're pushy."

I grinned as he pressed his lips against mine, and it felt so good. It felt like it had been years since we had last kissed. He put his hands on the small of my back, and I reached up to wrap my hands around his neck and pull him closer to me–which was awkward because of my cast–but I managed.

When he broke away from me, we were both breathing heavily.

"You have school," he said with a smile.

"Do I have to go?" I asked, going for a whiny teenager voice.

"Yes," he said as if he were a parent. "And bring back homework!"

I laughed at him. "Whatever you say, _Mom_," I teased, then asked, "Don't you have school?"

"Nope. I dropped out when I first started phasing," he grinned.

"You'll be the next Einstein," I teased.

He pushed me out the door and sarcastically said, "I love you too."

I grinned back at him before going down to the parking lot and getting into my car and throwing my bag on the passenger seat. I sighed as I drove out of La Push. I got to school early. _Of course_ the day after break I would get there early.

I waited in science for Alice to get there.

Yes, it was awkward with my teacher in the room alone with me. Yes, I wanted him to leave. Yes, he probably thought I was insane. But I didn't care at all. Alice came in after what felt like an eternity. She hugged me tight, but I couldn't help but notice her crinkle her nose.

"What are you doing tonight?" she trilled. I shrugged. "Well…how about you sleep over?"

"Alice, I'm not even settled at Paul's yet," I said, rolling my eyes. "Tonight wouldn't be a good night."

She pursed her lips. "Sometime this week?"

"Maybe."

She punched me lightly in the arm, rolling her eyes. After science, the day went by excruciatingly slow. At lunch I was super tempted to just go home; my bed was calling to me. But I didn't. Somehow, I made it through the entire day. I was oddly proud of myself.

On my way, I decided to stop by the grocery store to see if Johnny was back yet–he wasn't. The windows were dark, and there were bars in front of the windows. I had known Johnny would have ensured that everything was locked up fine, but it was still a sad sight to see.

I sighed. Had he fallen to the same fate as my parents?

I doubted it, but I couldn't help but think it. If the same thing that had happened to him had happened to my parents, I would never be able to forgive myself. I'd feel like it was my fault. I mean, who knows, he could've actually come back months ago, but James, Victoria and Laurent could've gotten to him.

The thought made guilt and fear stab away at me. I can't lie and say that I wasn't worried about him. I had known him for a few years, and I had been one of the first people who he had hired when he opened up the store. Yeah, he was my boss, but we were friends too. I was comfortable working for him, and I knew I wouldn't get a boss as good as him anytime soon.

The thought of James, Laurent or Victoria getting their hands on him made me cringe. I knew I shouldn't, but it made me feel as though I was at fault for it. They had obviously come here targeting my family and I, as well as the Cullens. Why else would they have gone after my dad? Especially after what James had told me about my mom, it made sense. Humans couldn't know about vampires, and how could my mom's sudden disappearance be explained? It couldn't be, so they had to get rid of anything or anyone that would draw suspicions to them.

With a sick feeling in my stomach, two things dawned on me. One–they had been here because of me in the first place. They had probably come to Forks with the intention of offing my dad and me.

Two–had the plan with the Cullens not worked out, or if the Cullens hadn't asked me to help them, Laurent or Victoria would have probably come searching for me while James was hunting for Bella. Laurent or Victoria had probably gone to my house to find me while I was helping out the Cullens.

They could still be searching for me.

I sped to Paul and my apartment before I could get any darker thoughts about what may have happened to Johnny, and what could've so easily happened to me. Anxiety was building in my chest and I felt super anxious to get back into Paul's arms. I rushed into the front door, and I was pulled into Paul's strong arms right away. He carried me to his bed, and kissed me with enough force to drown me. That was the exact thing I had needed after the long day I had just had.

"Did you have a nice day?" he asked, tucking me under his chin. I loved how perfectly I fit in his arms.

"Hmmm…no," I said.

I felt his chuckle more than I heard it. "That bad?"

"Teachers decided to swamp my classes with homework," I said with a shrug.

"You should get working on that," he muttered against my hair.

"I don't want to move just yet," I said.

"Good, I don't want to let go of you." We were both quiet until he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I drove by the grocery store today," I said. "Johnny still isn't back."

"You're worried, aren't you?" Paul asked gently.

I nodded. "What if…what if those vampires came back? What if instead of getting me, they settled for him instead?"

"We would have known about it," Paul said. "We've been patrolling the borders even harder lately, after what happened over spring break. There hasn't been the scent of a vampire in La Push, except for when you've been with the Cullens and you smell like them."

"But where's Johnny?" I asked. "I mean, where could he have gone for so long?"

"Who knows, love," he said gently. "It could be anything. I wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I'm sure you're right, I guess I'm just…overreacting."

"There's more, isn't there?" he asked. I looked away from him immediately. Gently, he turned my face back to his so I was meeting his eyes. "What is it?"

"I realized something on my drive home," I said quietly. "Those vampires–they came back here because of me. What James told me about my mom…it'd only make sense that they'd come back here to get rid of my dad and me. Obviously after a while of my mom being MIA we would've become suspicious and started prying and trying harder to find her…so they came here to get rid of us. Paul, they were here because of me, and then they started to hunt Bella. If I hadn't helped the Cullens…" I trailed off. "What if I had been alone at the house and they had gone there, looking for me? Hell, they may have been there while I was with the Cullens and none of us knew about it. It's my fault that Bella got hurt. It's because of me that they were here."

He tightened his hold on me. "Don't blame yourself for this, Mel. It wasn't your fault they were here. What happened was completely out of your control. Just because your mom got mixed in with them, it doesn't mean that it's your fault they ended up here. I don't want you blaming yourself for this, because you really aren't to blame. Don't think like that, okay?"

"I'll try," I said. "But if Johnny–"

"Johnny is fine," he assured me. "We would've heard something on the news by now if something had happened to him."

"Thank you Paul," I said.

He held me close to him. "It's what I'm here for."


	24. Chapter 24: Trying to Make it Work

**Chapter 24: Trying to make it Work**

Paul and I kissed for a long time after that. He slid his hand under my t-shirt to rub my back, while his other hand was running his fingers through my hair. I played with the hair at the back of his neck but of course, the moment just had to be ruined.

"Paul! Open up!" Sam called. His voice was muffled since he was standing outside, but he was still loud. _Too_ loud.

Paul growled quietly. I broke away from him, sighing, but he pulled my face back to his and kissed me again.

"Paul, I swear to god, I will break this door down if you don't open up!" Sam snarled. That was what prompted me to move. I did not want to have to get the door fixed. I wiggled away from Paul, attempted to fix my hair, and opened the door to see Sam and Jared waiting outside.

"Yes?" I asked. Jared looked away from me immediately. I was sure he knew that Paul and I hadn't exactly been sitting across from each other at a table, not touching each other.

"We need to speak with Paul," Sam said gruffly.

"Can it wait?" I asked.

"No," he said coldly. I stared Sam down for a minute, trying to get him to crack, but then I gave up. It was no use trying to negotiate with Sam. How did Emily put up with him?!

"Come in," I said with a sigh. Sam pushed past me, and Jared didn't look up as he walked by me. Paul was waiting on the couch. I stayed by the door, leaning against the door frame.

"You aren't doing your duties," Sam addressed Paul.

"You told me there nothing I needed to do," Paul said. I could hear an angry edge to his voice. "And while Mel is at school, I do what you tell me."

"And at night?" Sam asked.

"You haven't called me for anything," Paul said, leaning back and_ looking_ totally relaxed–but I knew better. He wasn't really relaxed. I could clearly see the tension around and within his eyes. He was nervous. He didn't know what Sam would say or how he would act.

"I shouldn't need to," Sam snapped.

"Maybe you should," Paul said, mirroring Sam's tone.

"You aren't the only one with an imprint," Sam growled. "All of us want to spend time with our imprints, but you don't hear us complaining." I glanced at Jared to gauge his reaction at Sam's words, but he was staring at the floor. I could tell he was uncomfortable, and I felt bad for him. I really did.

"You haven't told me to do anything!" Paul defended himself, voice rising. I could practically feel his temper rising from where I was standing. _This isn't good. This isn't good at all._ "We had a deal, Sam. _You_ told me I could work while Mel was at school, and I could be with her when she came home."

Jared moved away from them and closer to me defensively. I knew he meant will, but I still couldn't help but fight the urge to glare at him.

Sam sighed. "Jared wants to spend time with Melanie, too."

I immediately looked at the floor. I heard an unmistakable growl from Paul.

"No," he said flatly.

"She _is_ his imprint too," Sam tried to reason. "You would want the same if you were in his shoes."

"No," he snapped with another low growl and a tremor rolling through him.

"Paul…" I said, trying to move closer to him, but Jared pulled me back.

"He could be dangerous," Jared said quietly to me.

"Jared, get Mel out of here," Sam said, eyeing Paul. I could see that Paul was beginning to shake more violently as Jared pulled me out the front door, and shut it behind him. I didn't look at him.

"Alpha's orders," he grinned.

"Very funny," I muttered sarcastically. I tried to open the door, it was locked. I hadn't grabbed my key before Jared had practically dragged me out of the apartment.

_Crap._

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, smile hinting at his lips.

"I want to go back into my apartment," I said.

"Sorry, no can do," he grinned wolfishly.

I glared at him.

"Come on, live a little," he tried to convince me. "I haven't bonded much with my imprint alone yet." He moved closer to me. I backed up immediately, and hit the railing, but he was still moving closer.

"Stop it," I warned. "You know what he'll do."

"So?" he asked. "I could take him." He was _really_ close now. I tried to push him away, but deep down I knew that it wouldn't work–especially since I only had use of one hand.

"Jared, please stop," I said forcefully, putting my good hand on his bare chest. He pushed my hand away, and came even closer, our bodies were almost touching. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me tight against him, and leaned in to kiss me. I struggled to fight against him, but his hold was like a death grip. There was no way I could get out. I was trapped.

When his lips were inches away from mine, he grinned wickedly, and threw me on his back, jumped over the railing, and started running. I felt nauseous at how sudden it was, and how fast we were going. He dropped me somewhere in the forest. I didn't have time to catch my breath again before he had picked me up, and pushed me against a tree.

"Stop," I gasped, trying to get a hold of my surroundings.

"No," he muttered, burying his head in my neck.

"I'll scream," I warned.

"Go ahead," he challenged, staring at me in the eye now.

I sucked in a breath to scream, but he kissed me before I could let it out. A soft moan escaped his mouth…and one small part of me wanted him to keep going. The bigger part of me was pushing me to fight against him, trying to make me remember Paul–but there was that little nagging part that wanted me to kiss him back and make it keep going. One tiny part of me wanted Jared _so _badly.

My brain was hazy. I was confused as Jared kissed me.

How could I fight him? He was so much stronger than me. How could I run away from him? He was so much faster than me. So, I didn't kiss him back, I just waited. I froze and I didn't try to fight against him–I just didn't do anything. I just waited for him to stop.

I tried to name all fifty states in my head while I waited to keep my mind off the kiss–and the nagging urge to kiss him back with all the force I had in me.

When he finally broke away from me, he was breathing heavily. I had made it to twenty-five in the time it had taken him to get his face off of me.

I glared at him.

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that," he said.

"Well, I was trying to name the fifty states in my head while I was waiting for you to get your face off me."

"Really? How far did you get?" he asked.

"Twenty-five," I said.

"Maybe I should kiss you again so you can get the rest," he grinned.

"Don't you dare," I growled.

He laughed.

"You know," I started. "I really thought we could make this thing work–the whole double imprint thing. I thought we could be friends, or you could be like a big brother to me, like you always have been–before this whole mess started–but then you pull a stunt like _this_. You bring me into a forest, where you _know_ I won't be able to find my away out, push me against a tree, and try to make out with me." He sighed. I knew I had struck a chord. "I hope you go crazy hoping that I'm okay," I said bitterly and walked away from him, not caring about getting lost. I just wanted to get as far away from Jared as I possibly could. I didn't want to see his face anymore. I was so angry with him. How dare he take advantage of me like that? How dare he do something like to me, fully knowing that I didn't want it?

I was quite literally shaking with anger as I walked away from him, wanting to find Paul.

But again…one teeny tiny part of me wanted to go back to him and apologize. What I had said _had_ been pretty harsh.

But then the bigger part of me realized what I was thinking, and anger coursed through my veins again, and it just drove me to keep moving forward to get back to Paul. I was so angry with Jared, and I was angry with myself for allowing it to happen…and I was angry about wanting to kiss him back.

I pushed the thoughts of wanting to kiss him back right out of my mind and concentrated on finding Paul.


	25. Chapter 25: Prom

**Epilogue: Prom**

I was lost. I had no idea where I was, and I was cursing Jared's name. I was literally shaking with anger.

"Mel!" Jared called from behind me. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

"Go away!" I snapped, moving forward. Well, limping forward, I still had the stupid cast on my leg.

"Come on Mel," he said. "You're being stupid."

He was still following me so I whirled around to face him. "_You_ are the one who brought me out here in the first place. I don't want to see your face right now, okay? You pissed me off pulling that little stunt, and when Paul finds out…"

"Mel, stop," he said. "This is insane. I know the way to Emily's, Paul is probably worried sick about you. He and Sam are probably there. _Please_ let me take you there."

"I don't need your help," I practically growled.

"I will carry you there," he warned.

I limped away from him. I heard him running behind me. He grabbed me, and spun me around to face him.

"Let go of me," I commanded, trying to pull my arm away from him, but he had grabbed my bad arm, so it was basically useless.

"No," he growled.

"Let go of her, Jared," warned a husky voice from behind us, which prompted Jared to let go of me right away; I spun around to see Paul and Sam emerging from the trees. Paul's face was absolutely thunderous, while I couldn't quite read the expression on Sam's face. I limped over to Paul, and he wrapped one of his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him. I breathed in his scent and relished in the warmth of him.

"What you did was unacceptable," Sam said to Jared.

Jared hung his head. I found Paul's hand, and squeezed it, he squeezed mine back. I felt the anger ease out of me slightly. Only slightly though.

"Apologize," Sam commanded.

"I'm sorry," Jared mumbled, not meeting our eyes. I didn't look at him, neither did Paul. I didn't want to see his face right now.

"Come on," Paul snapped. He was still angry, I could tell. Hell, I was angry too. I knew Paul wasn't angry with me, but I knew better than to talk about it to get him angrier.

I started to limp away from him, but I was lifted off the ground. Paul was carrying me home. I was in Paul's arms, and I was right where I wanted to be. I snuggled close to him. He took me back to our apartment, and didn't even mention Jared. I had a feeling he didn't want to talk about him just as much as I didn't.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled once we were lying in bed together.

He gave me a weird look. "What are you sorry for?"

"For what just happened," I said, looking away from him.

He turned my face back to his. "It isn't your fault."

"But now because of me…" I trailed off.

"Hey, it's okay. This has nothing do with you–" At my look he hesitated. "Okay…it does have a lot to do with you, but what he did today isn't your fault, Mel. He knew that you didn't want to go out there with him, but he just didn't seem to care. That isn't your fault, and I'm not angry with you."

I took a deep breath. "I know but…I still feel bad."

"I have a surprise for you," he murmured, obviously wanting to change the subject and get his mind off of Jared. "But you can't have it yet."

"How is that any fun?" I pouted.

"Because," he said with a wicked grin.

A few weeks passed, and he _still_ hadn't given me my surprise. I sighed; walking around the school was really no fun with all the prom posters up. One day after school, Alice was waiting for me in my car. She didn't say a word, just started driving.

"Where are we going?" I asked. She didn't answer, so I whined, "_Alice!_"

"If I tell you, you'll probably jump out of the car," she said. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, and made a face at her. This was _not_fun. She pulled into the parking lot of a mall somewhere in Seattle. We hadn't been to this one before. Wow, she drove _fast_. It never ceased to amaze me how quickly she could get places. She dragged me into a dress store where Rosalie was already waiting.

"No, Alice!" I complained. "I am _not_ going to prom!"

"Oh yes you are!" her and Rosalie said at the same time.

"Who am I going with?" I asked.

"You'll see," Alice sang. I glowered at both of them and Rosalie smirked at me. Rosalie and Alice raced through the store picking out a bunch of different dresses for me to try on. I didn't even bother trying to follow them, so I just sat down and waited.

The first one was pink and strapless. It went just past my knees, and had black lace around my stomach area. It was nice. But I _really _wasn't a pink girl.

"We can get it in a different colour," Alice promised.

The next one was baby blue, with thick straps, and it went to the floor. I liked it...but it wasn't it. The next one was a dark red colour, it went to my knees, and had a pink bow around the waist. Not one of those huge bows, but a nice slim ribbon tied at the end. I liked everything about it–especially how the colour looked against my skin–except for the bow. The next one was black, but in the same style as the red one, without the bow. I really liked it. I think it was my favourite one.

"Okay, which one?" Alice asked when I was back in my regular clothes.

Rosalie grinned. "Can't you_ see_ which one she's going to choose?"

"Yeah, but you can't!" Alice complained. "Nice choice, Mel."

"Thanks," I muttered. Rosalie looked at me expectantly. "Oh, the black one."

"Ooooh!" she cooed. "That one looked amazing against your skin!"

"Now, we have to look for Bella's!" Alice exclaimed. Rosalie rolled her eyes and I tried to mask the giggle that threatened to escape from me. We found it. It was absolutely _gorgeous…_but apparently it was the wrong colour.

"This is perfect," Alice gasped, marveling at the fabric of it.

"Edward's favourite colour on her is blue, remember?" Rosalie said.

Alice pursed her lips. I was still staring in awe at the thing. It was deep purple. It was frilly, and its sleeves went off the shoulders of it, and had draping sleeves that gathered at the wrists. In front it was cut in a way that you could see the different layers of fabric, which got lighter with every layer in the bodice.

"Excuse me?" Alice asked a clerk. "Do you have this in blue?"

"Let me check," she said in a nasally voice, staring wide-eyed at Rosalie and Alice, then looking at me, and cocking an eyebrow. I made a face at her receding form. Alice looked like she was about to faint. I felt like she should be fanning herself if that were necessary for vampires. She got _very_ into her shopping.

"If they don't have it…" she muttered in annoyance.

"Can't you just _look_?" I asked. She stood still for a moment, concentrating hard on something, then her brow furrowed.

"She's going to come out here, and tell us she doesn't have it," she growled.

"Go in there!" Rosalie urged. Alice sprinted in there, this was obviously an emergency.

Rosalie smiled. "She's giving the clerk hell back there." I held onto my dress, shifting on my feet. "What's wrong?" Rosalie asked me.

"Nothing, it's just…" I cleared my throat. "You guys shouldn't have to pay for this."

She laughed. "It's the least we can do."

"Are you going?" I asked. She looked confused, so I specified, "To prom, I mean."

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "Alice and I already have our dresses."

"What do they look like?" I asked.

"Well, mine is red, it has no back, and cuts down to my waist in the front, and has a huge billowing skirt. Alice's is black with geometric cut-outs that show a bit of skin."

"Wow," I breathed. "Those sound wonderful."

Rosalie smiled. "Thank you."

Alice came out of the back of the store then, with a deep blue dress in her arms and a triumphant grin on her face. The saleswoman came out a few seconds later, looking absolutely terrified. I almost wanted to ask what Alice had said to her, but her grin made me think not to. Alice grinned at us. She pulled my dress away from me, and went to the counter to pay. I sighed. I didn't like that the Cullens insisted on paying for things for me.

"When is prom, anyway?" I asked. Rosalie stared at me. "What?"

"Mel, it's tomorrow," she said.

"What?! No!" I said. "It can't be!"

"Well, it is," she said. "Alice wanted to come shopping with you sooner, but your wolf wouldn't let you out."

This was impossible. "I'm not ready!" I screeched.

"You will be," she smiled. "We're getting our nails done, and you're sleeping at our house tonight."

"I need to call Paul." I said.

"He already knows," she promised._ Oh_, so he was in on this? I was going to kill him next time I saw him.

Alice came over to us. "Now we need shoes!"

I groaned. We actually found a nice pair, they were black and strapped. There were stilettos. _Of course_.

"What about Bella's?" I asked.

"I'm not sure of her size," Alice said. "I'll bring her here tomorrow."

We drove to the Cullens' massive home. Well, Alice drove. I sat in the back. I was still shocked at the magnitude Cullens home. I couldn't get over how huge it was–and how open it was!

Alice pushed me up to her bedroom.

"Ooh, I could give you a French manicure!" she trilled excitedly.

I looked at my nails. "They're not long enough."

She rolled her eyes. "I have acrylics."

"If you want, I don't care," I said with a shrug. "Do whatever you want."

"Tips it is," she said. "Besides, I wouldn't want to paint your nails black, it would be too much black. Your hair, your dress, your heels…it'd just be too much" I sighed as she put the fake nails on my nails. Okay, they did look great. She then insisted on painting my toes black, and added little designs in silver to my big toes.

"Thank you so much, Alice," I breathed. "They're gorgeous."

She grinned.

"What about your nails?" I asked.

"I'm getting them done tomorrow, with Bella, so that we can buy her shoes," she said. "I need to keep it a surprise that she's going to prom."

I laughed. "Like you did with me?"

"Exactly."

"Alice, who's my date?" I pestered her. "Paul can't come over the border; you and I both know that. And I don't want to go with anyone else."

"You'll see," she said, a wicked grin lighting her face. I groaned as she pursed her lips. "How should we do your hair?"

"Curls?" Rosalie asked, coming into the room. "Big curls would look nice."

Alice nodded. "Will you do that while I'm out with Bella tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll make Emmett and Jasper help me," she grinned.

"Oh! You need food, don't you?" Alice addressed me.

I laughed. "Yeah, I sort-of do."

"Come with me," she commanded.

I followed her to the Cullens' kitchen. "Edward!" she yelled. I knew it was just for fun, he could probably hear us talking from down here when we had been upstairs.

"What?" he asked, facing the stove.

"Mel needs food. Are you still cooking?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, and turned to smile at me. "I want to cook for Bella tomorrow night; do you think you could test it for me? I wouldn't know if it tastes good or not."

"Sure," I said, and sat down. He handed me a plate of food, and it was _really_ good. It was chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. "This is amazing, Edward!"

"Thank you," he smiled. "I've been practising."

"No problem," I said, continuing to eat. Alice was watching my nails worriedly. "I won't break them, Alice. I'll be careful. I promise."

"You better be," she growled.

Edward laughed. "You are one feisty little monster."

"Shut up," she said.

Jasper came in then; he smiled at me, and wrapped his arm around Alice's waist. I returned his smile. They looked _so_ happy together; it was like they fit together like a puzzle. For the rest of the night, I helped Alice arrange things for Bella's arrival for tomorrow, and helped Alice lay out all of her hair products and makeup. It took us the whole night! I collapsed onto a bed, I wasn't even sure whose it was, but it was comfy.

I woke up to Rosalie scowling over my head.

"We don't have much time!" she exclaimed. "Alice can do everything for Bella in an hour, but you need to be out of here before she gets here."

"Why?" I asked, still drowsy.

"Someone wants to take you out," she smiled. I glanced at the clock, it was noon.

"What time are Bella and Alice getting here?" I asked.

"Three o'clock," she said.

I took a deep breath. I was still half asleep. "Let's get ready." Rosalie washed my hair, and used nice smelling shampoo, it was grapefruit and mint. It smelled _really _good, and the feeling of Rosalie's fingers on my scalp was making me drowsy all over again. she was really good at washing hair.

"Do you normally have many knots or tangles in your hair?" she asked.

"Not really," I said. "It may be long, but it doesn't tangle very much."

She bit her lip, and then muttered something that sounded like, "Well, just in case," and proceeded to comb some yellow goo through my hair. She started drying my hair, and then called for Esme. Even with the two of them, it wasn't going fast enough. She had to call Jasper and Emmett to help. Emmett was cracking jokes the whole time. He was making fun of my human-ness.

"Are you as clumsy as Bella?" he asked, trying to hold back laughter.

"Hardy har har," I said dryly. "I actually don't trip that much." He laughed, and I swear it rocked the entire house. After my hair was dry, Emmett and Jasper made their escape. Esme and Rosalie put big hot rollers in my hair.

"Let's get you dressed," she said.

We got the dress on, and I have to admit, I did look really good. Rosalie sprayed some good smelling perfume in the room. She pushed me back to the bathroom, and took the rollers out. My hair looked _really_ good. They were nice curls, not poufy, frizzy curls that I normally got when I tried curling it.

Rosalie looked into my eyes. "Green eyes." She murmured, and then found liquid eyeliner that was a purplish brownish colour. Apparently it would make my eyes look even greener.

"You don't need much makeup," she said. "Your skin is very fair."

She put some dark red lipstick on my lips, then helped me into my shoes, yes, she had asked Carlisle if my ankle cast could come off. He had examined it and let me take it off last night.

"Now what?" I asked, wobbling a bit in my heels.

"I need to drive you…somewhere," she said cryptically.

"Somewhere?" I asked. "Where?"

"Wait and see," she grinned. I got into her shiny red BMW convertible. She drove me to a restaurant.

"Go inside,_ someone_ will be waiting at the door for you," she advised. I went inside and there stood my wolf in a black tux. I smiled shyly at him. How had I not anticipated this? He held his hand out for me, and I took it.

"Reservation for, uh, Cullen," he said, clearing his throat.

"Alice arranged this?" I hissed.

"Yep," he said, looking very uncomfortable about that. We ate dinner together–well; it was more like a late lunch-early dinner. After we were finished, he helped me into his car, and drove to the school.

"You're not supposed to be here," I smiled.

"Alice granted me permission," he said, wincing slightly as he said her name. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Would they _ever_ get along?

I grinned at him as he helped me into the school, considering my shoes were slowly starting to kill me. We go to where the dance floor was, and Paul started dancing with me. Of course, he led; I wasn't even close to stable enough to move in these damn heels. Other couples were dancing around us, but then the Cullens came in.

Alice and Rosalie looked absolutely gorgeous in their dresses, and the boys looked equally handsome on the girls' arms. As soon as the Cullens came to the dance floor and started twirling elegantly, the other couples all automatically left, and leaned against the walls. I tried to follow suit, but Paul held on tight, and Alice elbowed me from behind. I knew I wasn't going anywhere for a while. I blushed a lot, not liking the fact that everyone was looking at us.

Well, they probably weren't looking at us, just at the Cullens. Paul twirled me, and to my horror, everyone was staring at us, jaws slack. None of them knew who he was–he was basically a stranger to them. I felt my face heat even more. I needed to get off the dance floor.

"I'm thirsty," I murmured. Paul danced us off the dance floor, and led us to the refreshment table. I felt eyes on me the whole way there. Jessica was staring at me so I stared right back at her. She didn't look happy. Well, neither was I. She was staring at us without shame, and I didn't like that. Mike's face was angry, and also a little bit jealous. Hmm…maybe he and Jessica were having problems. Or…were they still together? I couldn't remember–and I really didn't care enough to think about it.

Bella and Edward came in then, and when she saw everyone standing at the walls, I could tell she just wanted to leave. I really didn't blame her. She looked absolutely mortified. Paul and I had a pretty good night, by the end of the night people started leaking onto the dance floor again. Jessica shot lots of jealous looks in my direction. At the end of the night, Paul drove us home.

"Thank you," I said, holding his hand as we walked through the front door of the apartment.

"For what?" he asked.

"For…" I hesitated. What _was _I thanking him for? There was so much he had done for me. I don't think I'd ever be able to thank him enough. I loved him so much. I never wanted to be away from him. I never wanted anything to come between us. I knew that someday something would happen that would separate us, but I didn't want to think about that. whether it was Jared, or vampire-wolf drama, or whatever it was, I knew that there would be something in the future that would bring us apart, but I didn't linger on it for too long. Right now, he and I were together and we were happy. Nothing could change that. "For everything."

He didn't say anything; he just grasped my face in his hands and kissed me.

Life with my wolf was pretty good. And I would never ask for anything more.

**AN: This isn't the last chapter of the story. This story is separated into four separate books like the Twilight series is, so this is the end of what would be the "Twilight book". Next will be New Moon, then Eclipse, and then Breaking Dawn and it will all be posted in the same story file on this site.**


	26. Chapter 1: Ruined

**Imprinted: New Moon**

**Chapter One: Ruined**

Summer was absolutely amazing. Every night was spent with Paul; we'd just lounge around and chill with each other, or we'd go to Emily's place. I loved spending time with him. Somehow it never got boring when we were together, regardless of what we were doing. During the day I was usually with Alice and Rosalie–well Rosalie was spending more time with me than Alice, since Bella was always around. In way, I did miss Alice, but I felt like that was just being selfish of me. I had been friends with Alice before Edward had allowed the family to talk to Bella…so it made sense.

It was late August. Today was one of the days that Edward had Bella all to himself, and both Alice and Rosalie were with me, for once we weren't shopping, we were just chilling in the Cullens' massive backyard.

One thing I had learned very quickly was that the Cullens seemed to have an endless amount of money. Carlisle was one of the best doctors in the country–if not _the_ best doctor in the country–and since he had been doing the job for more than a hundred years–in different cities and countries of course–the money would obviously add up. It also helped that Alice had visions of the future, which could help her predict winning lottery numbers. The Cullens didn't do that very often, and even when they did they would give quite a large portion of their winnings to charity.

It was a rare day in Forks; the sun was shining. Rosalie and Alice looked like they were made of diamonds when the sun hit them. It really just added to their beauty. The Cullens–and vampires in general, as I had learned last spring break when I had gotten far too close to a couple nomadic vampires–were all gorgeous. They were literally the epitome of perfect beings.

Rosalie was in a good mood today. Well, she normally was in a good mood unless Bella was mentioned. Rosalie didn't like Bella very much. She knew that Bella was more than willing to be turned into a vampire, and Rosalie felt that Bella was throwing her life away in doing so. But, she didn't want to think or talk much about Bella today–she and Emmett were taking a second honeymoon in Africa and they were leaving tonight.

While Rosalie was getting excited and gearing up for her trip, Alice and I were dreading the return to Forks High. Since Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper had "graduated", the only Cullens who would be returning to Forks High were Alice and Edward.

"What day did Edward say was Bella's birthday?" Alice asked. Obviously her mind was elsewhere. Along with perfect facial structures and bodies, vampires also had perfect memories.

"September 13th," Rosalie answered shortly.

"I'm planning a party for her," Alice grinned, then turned to me. "Want to help?"

I shrugged. "I have work, remember?"

My boss, Johnny, had finally come back in July. He had been gone for months and I had been worried that he had fallen to the same fate as my parents–killed or turned by vampires, but I had been wrong. He didn't tell me where he had been, or what had taken him so long, and I didn't ask.

Alice pouted. "I guess I'll have to do it all by myself."

I groaned. "I'll see what I can do."

She immediately perked up. "Thank you!"

I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at her, and then my phone rang in my pocket.

"Alice, can you tell me who it is?" I asked, not wanting to take my phone out if it wasn't someone important.

She held up a finger. Her face scrunched up. "I can't tell." Rosalie and I gaped at her. What? Alice couldn't tell? I answered my phone, and it was Paul. I felt a warm smile tug at my lips.

"Hey," I said as Rosalie and Alice spoke quietly to each other.

"When are you coming home?" he asked. "I just finished working."

I smiled into my phone. "I'm not sure."

"Please hurry," he pleaded. "I miss you. I haven't seen you in a few days." I had spent the past two nights at the Cullen house.

"I miss you too," I said.

"See you soon?" he asked.

"I'll leave soon," I promised, and then hung up. Alice and Rosalie both looked at me expectantly. "I have to go." I felt my face heat. "You didn't need help packing, did you, Rose?"

She smiled. "No, I was done last week."

"I guess I'm just going to go then…" I trailed off, glancing nervously at Alice.

She sighed. "I wish you could spend the night again…"

"I just spent the past two nights here. besides, Paul misses me…a lot."

"Fine. Go play with your wolf," she grumbled.

I laughed at that. "I'll be back again tomorrow."

She brightened. "Let's go shopping for school stuff!"

"Sure," I plastered a smile on my face–I'd agree to anything to let me go and be with Paul. It really was pathetic how desperate I was to see him.

"Bye Rose, have fun in Africa!" I said.

She grinned. "Thanks, I will." She got up and hugged me tight.

"Bye," I said to them when Rosalie released me.

"Bye Mel!" They said together.

I walked out to my car, just in time to see Edward walking into the house, alone.

"Bye Edward," I said, getting into my car.

"Bye Mel," he grinned.

"Good day?" I asked. I wasn't used to seeing him so happy.

"Yes," he laughed. "It was."

I smiled at him once more before driving down the Cullens' long driveway.

It was strange how comfortable I had gotten with the Cullens. I mean, I was calling Rosalie Rose now. That was something I never would've thought possible when they first moved to Forks. They had always kept to themselves. They couldn't allow the secret of what they were out to the public. They knew I could be trusted because of my knowledge about the La Push pack of wolves. Speaking of La Push, as I breezed over the border between La Push and Forks, I felt myself relax immediately. I always felt better when I was back here. It was soothing somehow.

I pulled into the parking lot of our apartment building; as soon as I walked in the door, I was scooped into Paul's arms. I giggled as he kissed my neck.

He tossed me down on the couch, and crinkled his nose, face hovering above mine.

"Go shower," he said. "You smell bad."

"Too bad," I said, taking his face in my hands, and pulling his lips down to mine. I didn`t want to be away from, I had missed him over the past couple days, but he pulled away from me.

"Seriously," he said, but he was unable to hide the smile on his face.

"You know, you look really stupid when you try to be serious, and you're smiling," I commented.

He snorted. "You're too funny."

I punched him playfully.

"Really?" he asked. I nodded. "You really want to play like that?"

I nodded, grinning.

"Alright," he said. He got up off me, and disappeared. I got up off the couch, and looked around. Where was he? My head was spinning–I guess I had gotten up too quickly.

"Paul?" I called. Nothing. I pursed my lips, and next thing I knew, I was on the floor, something like a lead weight pinning me down. Whatever it was rolled me over, and I found myself looking into Paul's dark brown eyes.

I made a face at him.

He laughed. "I obviously win."

"Pfft. Never," I said.

He pinned my arms down. "What about now?" I shook my head. He bent his head close to mine. "Now?" he whispered, breath tickling my face. I shook my head again. He kissed me lightly. "Now?"

"Nope," I said. I wanted to pull his face down to mine again, but he still had my arms locked in his iron grip. He kissed me longer this time, then let go of my arms to run his own hands through my hair.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and my legs went around his waist. He broke away from my lips, and I kissed his neck. He nibbled my ear.

But of course, like every moment alone we had together, it had to be interrupted. Someone knocked on the door.

"I'm not home," he whispered to me, when I tried to get up to answer it. I grinned, and kissed him more. The knocking persisted, and Paul growled quietly.

"I know you're in there!" Sam's gruff voice called.

"Shhh," Paul murmured to me. "He won't hear us if we're quiet."

"I see both of your cars out here, and if you don't open up soon, I will break this door down," Sam warned.

Paul let out a quiet growl, and then picked me up, I almost let out a yelp, but Paul put his hand over my mouth to silence me. He carried me into our bedroom, and fell onto the bed with me. He pulled the covers over us, and I curled up next to him.

"We can pretend we're sleeping," he whispered, mischievous glint in his eyes. The banging continued on the door. It was getting irritating. What did Sam need Paul for that was so important?

Finally, I had had enough. I got out of bed, and marched to the door.

"Yes?" I demanded icily, flinging the door open.

Sam looked hard at me. "What took you so long?"

"We were asleep," I said. "Is that a problem?"

He rolled his eyes at that. "Why are you lying?"

"I'm not," I snapped.

"Liar," he muttered, pushing past me. "Where's Paul?"

"In there," I said, jabbing my thumb to the bedroom.

Sam marched in to the bedroom. I sighed. Every time Paul and I were alone, something had to come up. I cursed Sam's name. Paul and Sam emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later.

"Jared's sick," Paul explained. "I have to run the border with Sam tonight."

"Be careful," I said half-heartedly. I really didn`t want him to leave, but I knew he had to. That didn't make me like it any more.

"I will," he promised, and kissed me lightly on my lips before leaving me alone in the apartment with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company.


	27. Chapter 2: Finally Getting Things Right

**Chapter 2: Finally Getting Things Right**

I was sitting on the couch after Paul and Sam and left. I was bored out of my mind. There was absolutely nothing to do. I turned on the TV and channel surfed, but there was nothing on. I did a quick cleaning of the apartment, but there really wasn't much to do. I considered calling Johnny and asking for a shift, but I knew he'd get annoyed that I was asking. He had hired a bunch of people to work for the summer, meaning I was getting less hours. He assured me that after school resumed I'd have my normal hours back, but it still annoyed me not being able to work.

Funny how that worked out; when I had to work, I didn't really want to go in, but now that I wasn't getting hours, I wanted to go in.

Regardless, I was still bored and wanted something to do. There was really only one thing that would take up my time as well as give me peace of mind. _No. I was not going to go see him. _

My conscience nagged at me, urging me to go see him, but I really didn't want to, and I tried to completely ignore the one teeny tiny part of me that did want to go see him.

I had an inner battle with myself as to whether or not I was going to go see him, until finally I stood up and made it to the door, but then I turned back around. I couldn't go see him. What was I, an idiot? I knew _exactly _what would happen if I went, and I didn't know if I'd be able to stop it. This was completely and utterly ridiculous. Why was I torturing myself? I went into the bedroom, hoping to get some sleep, but my stupid brain wouldn't turn off and let me sleep. I rolled onto my back and pursed my lips at the ceiling.

I knew what I had to do, even if I really didn't want to do it. Or…even if only one tiny part of me actually wanted to do it. I had to.

I got out of bed and made it to the front door again, before stopping and reconsidering yet again. I turned back around, turning my back on the door, and then turned _again_ so I was facing the door. This went on for a good couple of minutes while I tried to make a decision.

Finally, I made it out to my car. I took one last desperate look at the apartment door, wishing that there was something there that would force me to stay. Of course, I could turn back now if I wanted, it wasn't too late…but I didn't. I drove to Jared's house and pulled into his driveway. I waited in the car for a bit, thinking.

What was I even doing here? I really shouldn't have come. Before my mind could get the best of me I got out of my car and knocked on his door. If he didn't answer I would just leave. He'd be sleeping and I didn't wanna wake him…right?

But part of me longed to see him. I hadn't even wanted to admit it to myself, but I had missed him. I had barely spoken to him or seen him since the little stunt he pulled in the forest before prom, and I can't lie and say it wasn't getting to me.

Unfortunately, it was getting to me more than I wanted to admit.

"Mel?" he asked, interrupting the flood of thoughts in my brain.

"Hey," I said, looking away from him. I suddenly felt nervous and completely unsure of why I was even here.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding a bit stuffed up.

"Well, I heard you were sick, and…" I trailed off. What _was_ I doing here? I certainly couldn't explain to him that I wasn't able to concentrate until I knew he was fine. That would give him the wrong message and make me sound more pathetic than I really was, and I really didn't want that.

"And…?" he prompted.

"And I wanted to know if you were okay," I said, feeling heat creep to my cheeks.

"Allergies," he explained with a small smile. "I've been dealing with them all summer, but today it was really bad. Sam made me come home."

"Oh," I said. "Well, is there anything I can do?" Immediately I regretted asking. I should've just offered to buy him allergy meds or something without leaving the offer open-ended.

"Come in," he said, moving out of the way for me.

"Oh no," I said, waving off his suggestion and feeling my stomach tighten uneasily. "I really don't think that's appropriate, Jared."

"Please?" he asked, pleading with his eyes. "I'm really lonely."

Okay, so the puppy dog eyes worked. I really should _not _have gone in, but like the idiot I was I went right in. once I was in there, I knew I shouldn't have gone in. he sat down on his couch and I saw Kleenexes littering the coffee table in front of him. Okay, now I knew he was sick, but okay. Could I rest easy now?

"Come sit," he said, patting the couch cushion beside him. "It's not like allergies are contagious."

"I should probably get going," I said.

"No…please?" he practically begged, full-force puppy dog eyes on me now. "You just got here."

"Fine," I said, and I went to sit next to him–but not too close to him. I shivered slightly–it was pretty cold in here. Of course, he noticed and put his arm around me right away. He glanced at me as if to ask, _is this okay?_

It was okay, but only because I was cold. I wasn't paying attention to what he had been watching on TV. I was all too aware of how close we were. He pulled me closer to him, and when I tried to move away, he just tugged harder.

"You're cold," he said forcefully. I didn't say anything; I just exhaled deeply through my nose in annoyance. "Mel, I owe you an apology."

"You got that right," I muttered.

He turned my face to his so I had no choice but to look at him. "I really am sorry for what I did." I didn't say anything, so he continued. "I would never want to break up you and Paul. I…I don't know what came over me. I know it took way too long for me to apologize, but you'd barely look at me all summer." I looked away from him; I couldn't see the hurt in his eyes. The hurt _I _had caused him. "I don't want you to hate me, Mel. I'm just here to protect you."

"I have Paul for that," I said quietly, not wanting to hurt his feelings even more than I already had.

"Where is he now?" he asked.

"Out running with Sam," I said.

"When Paul's not around, I'm here to protect you," he said. "Obviously you don't feel the same about me as I do about you, but I'd rather be in your life as a brother than not in your life at all."

"I'd really like that, Jared," I said. "But, this is your last chance. If you try it again–"

"I know," he said, cutting me off. "I know I'm walking on thin ice, but I want it to work. Don't have so little faith in me, please."

"I'll try," I said quietly. Then, I curled up beside him, in the same way that I'd curl up next to a big brother if I had one. I felt safe and warm and comfortable in his arms. Finally, this whole double imprint thing might actually have a chance at working out.


	28. Chapter 3: Guilty

**Chapter 3: Guilty**

I hadn't realized that I had fallen asleep until I woke up completely disoriented and leaning against Jared's shoulder on his couch in house. Why the hell was I…?

_Oh…right._

I rubbed my eyes, trying to rub away the grogginess. I felt like a complete idiot, but part of me was glad I had spent this much time with Jared.

_Snap out of it! You are with Paul, remember him? Get it together! _

I looked over at Jared to see that he was snoring softly, so I nudged him awake and he jumped right away.

"Wha–?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and looking around. I could tell he was still half asleep. "What's wrong?"

"I need to go," I said, pushing myself off the couch. I'm sure my tone sounded more clipped and rude than I had intended, but I couldn't help it. I _needed_ to get out of there. I tried not to notice how much his face fell at my words. I had to force myself from sitting back down beside him and wrapping my arms around him and promising that I'd stay.

"Can't you stay any longer?" he asked.

"I can't…sorry," I mumbled, suddenly feeling bad about having to leave him. "I should probably get home to start making something for dinner for Paul and me." _Paul. _Guilt shot through me. I had just spent the day curled up on a couch with his pack brother and the guy who just happened to also be imprinted on me.

"Okay," he said reluctantly. "Bye Mel, thanks for visiting me today."

"Bye Jared," I said, feeling like utter crap and walking out of his house. As I walked to my car, guilt washed over me like a wave again. It felt like someone was watching me with probing eyes and telling me how bad a girlfriend I was to Paul for what had happened today.

But…what _had_ happened today? I mean…Jared and I hadn't exactly_ done_ anything wrong, had we? And was what I had done considered cheating? I didn't think so.

_But, if you had the chance, you probably would have kissed him without another thought._

I pushed that thought out of my mind before I did something even stupider and got in my car. On my whole drive home that was all I could think about. It felt like I was slowly developing feelings for Jared…and I didn't like it. Not one bit.

I stopped thinking about Jared as I pulled into the parking lot of my apartment and looked up at the building. It was still weird to think of it as _my _apartment. Just a few months ago I was still living in my parents' house…and just before that, both my parents were still alive and living in Forks, and I had had no idea that vampires and werewolves actually existed.

Now, however, I was fully aware of the supernatural beings that existed all around me without any humans knowing, my mom was a vampire, and my dad wasn't alive. I sighed, thinking for umpteenth time that I could've somehow saved my dad. I knew it was just wishful thinking, but I really felt like I could've prevented his death.

I got out of my car and headed up to the apartment, but I hesitated before going in. Something in my gut was telling me to stay outside or go back to Jared's. I ignored it, just thinking it was that little part of me that was maybe, possibly, hopefully not, falling for Jared, and opened the door to see complete darkness in the apartment. I couldn't even see an inch in front of my face. I groaned, shut the door behind me, and felt around for the light switch.

Well, as it turned out, closing the door had probably been the stupidest mistake I could've made, considering the only source of light into the apartment had been coming from the open door, and now I couldn't find the door again.

I felt around my purse for my phone, hoping to use it as a flashlight, but I couldn't find it. Of all the days that I really needed it, I couldn't find it. I tried to ignore the dread building up deep in my stomach. Something felt super wrong about the apartment, and I had no idea what it was. Something in my gut was screaming at me to run from the apartment and go back to the safety of Jared's house, but I couldn't even find the front door anymore. I tried to feel my way around the apartment–still searching for the stupid light switch–but what could I do in complete darkness? Hope to find Paul and my bedroom? Sit on the couch with nothing to do?

That was when I heard it. I heard a light thump from where I thought one of the bedrooms was. It made my stomach tighten and my blood run cold. I froze right where I stood, barely breathing. Was it Paul? No, surely he wouldn't be here alone in the dark. Had someone broken in?

"Paul?" I forced myself to whisper. No answer. My hands began to shake, and then louder I said, "Paul?"

There was another thump, louder this time, and that made me unfreeze. I frantically searched for something–anything that could help me. A light switch, a flash light, some sort of weapon, _anything._ I could hear light footsteps in the same room that I was in. I felt panic creep up my neck. My mind seemed to go blank. Where was I again? All I knew was that I was moving. I tripped over something and fell on my ass with a way too loud thud. I heard a small intake of breath that sounded like a gasp–and it almost sounded feminine? Oh my God, oh my God, _oh my God._

What was happening? What was going to happen to me? Had Victoria and Laurent come back? Was it my mother? Had someone broken into my apartment, wanting to rob the place, but now realized that someone was here?

The footsteps seemed to be closer to me now. I was shaking uncontrollably and could literally hear my heart pounding in chest. I wanted to scream, but my throat was suddenly dry. The footsteps sounded like they were even closer to me now and I could almost feel someone in the room with me. I could practically feel their presence right in front of me.

"Mel?" called a male voice from the door; dim light was suddenly streaming into the room.

"Jared?" I asked, trying to see his face.

"Where are you?" he asked sharply. "I could feel something was wrong."

"Wait, there's someone in the apartment," I said, feeling tears stinging at my eyes.

"What?" he growled. "Are you hurt?"

I heard a faint, girlish giggle, and then nothing.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Mel, where are you?

"I'm right here…" I said. My brain felt fuzzy. I heard Jared rush over to me. I saw his face cloud my vision. I tried to say something to him, but no words would come out. Faintly, I heard Paul come in and ask Jared what was happening. I heard Jared telling him what had happened, but couldn't concentrate on the words. The last think I saw before I blacked out was Paul's face in front of me, mouthing words to me that I couldn't hear.

Then, there was just nothingness, and I slipped into a dark bliss where nothing would hurt me.


	29. Chapter 4: New

Chapter 4-New

When I woke up, I wasn't sure where I was. I looked around, feeling disoriented and out of place. There was something oddly familiar about this room–the big bed, comfy sheets, huge pillows, the giant desk in the corner made of dark coloured wood–but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was like I was familiar with every piece of furniture, but it was like I was seeing it all with completely new eyes. Paul was sitting on a chair close to my bed. He was crinkling his nose and looking too serious. I don't think he had realized I was conscious, as he hadn't even looked up at me yet. I furrowed my brow. Why…?

"Mel!" Alice trilled, rushing into the room before I could say anything to Paul and hugging me tightly. "You're awake!" In a rush that should've made me dizzy, I realized where I was. I was in the Cullens' guest bedroom–well; Alice had told me that it was considered _my_ room whenever I slept over. But why was I here?

"Wha–?" I started to ask, but stopped immediately. My throat was burning. It was like there was a fire burning deep within it, and it was _killing_ me. Paul was quiet–too quiet. I glanced at him to see that he looked upset, and he still wasn't looking at me. Hoarsely, I asked, "What happened?"

"Well…Paul said that there was a vampire in your apartment," Alice said, chewing on her lip.

"What?!" I yelled, and then grimaced. That had _really _hurt my throat. "You got them though…right?" I cast a desperate look at Paul.

"No, I tried, but I was too worried about you," he said.

"What'd they look like?" Alice asked.

"It was a woman, she had really curly red hair," he said.

"Victoria," Alice breathed.

"You didn't tell her?" I asked Paul sharply.

"I was waiting for you to wake up," he said softly. I noticed the tense set of his jaw, bags under his eyes and stubble lining his chin. He looked exhausted and stressed…and I could also see anger deep within the lines of his face that made him look older than he really was. It made me wonder how long I had been out and what the hell was going on.

I turned my gaze back to Alice. "Why was she back here?" I remembered her name from when everything happened during spring break.

"I don't know, maybe she wanted answers."

Suddenly I felt relief wash over me. I glanced at the door to see Jasper leaning against the doorframe, grinning at me. No wonder the calm had felt so out of place, given my state of mind.

"Not funny," I mumbled, sticking my tongue out at him. I could hear his laughter as he made his way down the hall.

"Mel, there's something else," Alice said nervously, chewing on her lip again. I could see that she was reluctant to say whatever it was that was on her mind. She was hiding something from me.

"What?" I asked, looking back at Paul. He _still_ wouldn't meet my eyes. "What is it?"

"She…" Alice trailed off, and then took a deep, unnecessary breath. "She bit you." At that very moment my stomach sunk. No. No way. This was _not_ happening. No wonder Paul had been so distant and wouldn't meet my eyes since I had woken up.

"S-she…she b-bit me?" I stuttered, shaking my head slowly. Alice nodded grimly. "Am I…" I took a deep breath. "Am I like you now?" Alice wouldn't meet my eyes and didn't say anything.

"Oh just tell her," Paul growled.

Alice looked out the window, unable to meet my eyes. "Yes…she turned you."

I stared at Alice with wide eyes, and then turned to look at Paul. No wonder he'd barely look at me. I was a monster to him, now. I was his _enemy_ now.

"We tried to get all the venom out of your system, but it was too late," Alice continued. "By the time Paul brought you here the change had already started to happen inside of you. Paul didn't know what to do with you–we were his last resort, but by then…" she trailed off.

No. _No, no, no._ This was _not_ happening. I looked around. Everything _did_ seem unnaturally clear…

No. I shook my head furiously.

"No," I said, finding my voice again. "I'm not…that's…that's impossible!"

"No, it's not impossible," Alice said, still not meeting my eyes.

_Great. _What was I going to do now? Paul couldn't stand the sight of me. I was a monster to him now.

"Paul," I said. He didn't look up. "Paul, _please_ look at me."

He glanced up, met my eyes for a split second, and then cringed.

He _cringed_.

My boyfriend had cringed at me. That had hit me hard. I looked away, suppressing a sob. He couldn't even look at me without recoiling in disgust.

"It's not you," he said quietly. "It's your eyes."

"My eyes? What's wrong with them?" I whispered in horror.

Alice grabbed a mirror and handed it to me. I gasped. No way. Those were _not_ my eyes. I didn't look at how gorgeous and perfect my face was now. I couldn't bear to look at the familiar stranger in the mirror. I could only look at my eyes.

They were red.

Ruby red.

_Blood _red.

"Why?" I whispered.

"You still have human blood in your system, until it completely filters out, your eyes will be red," Alice explained.

"Paul, can we go home?" I asked. I needed to be away from here, away from the little handheld mirror, and away from other vampires. I just wanted to home, with Paul and pretend that I was still _me_. Paul shot a look at Alice, who was looking at me nervously. "Alice?"

"You…you can't go home yet," she said.

"Why?!" I yelled, then immediately cringed at the pain in my throat from the burning. "No! You aren't keeping my away from him! He may smell like a wet dog to me now, but I probably smell worse to him!" I shot a desperate look at him, I noticed a small smile on his lips, but it didn't touch his eyes. He was upset. "No! Alice, Please! I can't be away from him! I'm _not _signing that treaty, no matter what Sam says."

Paul met my eyes, and with a bitter edge to his voice that chilled me to the bone said, "It's what's best, for now at least."

I glared at him. "This isn't like you! Any other time you would fight to let me come home! What's so different now?!"

"You're a monster now," he whispered.

Then, I actually woke up.


	30. Chapter 5: Monster

**Chapter 5: Monster**

"Mel? Can you hear me?" Paul's voice washed over my senses and I opened my eyes to see his big head clouding my vision. He had a worried expression on his face and behind him I could see Jared looking over at us nervously. I couldn't see why either of them looked so worried about me–I was disgusting to them. Their noses should be crinkled and they should be cringing away from me in horror. The only thing that confused me was why I was in Paul's apartment. Alice had said that I couldn't come back here yet.

"Why aren't you cringing away from me in horror?" I asked, giving both of them an icy look.

"What are you talking about?" he asked gently, confusion clear on his face. I pushed him off of me and stood up, practically running into the bathroom and locking the door behind me. Through the door I could hear him and Jared talking to each other in Quileute, and then I heard the front door open and close. They had probably left to get Sam and figure out what to deal with me. I looked at the window in the bathroom, wishing it was big enough for me to fit through so I could just get out of here.

"Mel, what's wrong?" Paul asked, knocking on the door. He didn't sound angry or scared, just really confused. I sat in front of the door so he wouldn't be able to knock it down. I was a monster to him and I always would be. Nothing would change that. I was the enemy now. I was the one thing that the guys hated. The realization came crashing down around my ears. Paul would hate me now.

I suppressed a sob and held my head in my hands. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't…I'd never be able to cry or eat or sleep again. I didn't want this! I didn't want to be vampire! I just wanted to be a normal, human, girl! I didn't want to be a…_a monster! _It was bad enough not having one, but two guys imprinted on me, but now I was their enemy. Neither of them would care about me after this.

"Mel, open up," Paul said gently.

"Why?" I asked bitterly. "I'm a disgusting monster to you now."

"Why would you think that? What's going on with you?" he demanded. I could hear both anger and desperation in his voice–the desperation made me want to cry even more.

"Because it's true!" I yelled, trying unsuccessfully to suppress another sob. My eyes caught the corner of the mirror above the sink. I didn't want to go anywhere near it–I couldn't face the person who would be staring back at me with red eyes. The…the familiar stranger who would be staring back at me. I couldn't face that again–not yet. I hugged my knees to my chest and said, "Please, Paul, I just…I need to be alone."

"You are not a monster," he said. "I love you so much and there is nothing wrong with you. Please, babe, come out…talk to me. You'll never be a monster to me. Talk to me, please, love."

"I'm a vampire!" I shrieked, standing up and flinging the door open.

His eyes widened at me. "No you're not."

"Yes I am! The vampire who was in here bit me. You tried to help me in time but you couldn't and she changed me. You took me to the Cullens but they couldn't help either."

"Mel…none of that happened," he said, gently pushing me towards the mirror. "Yeah there was a vamp in here, but she didn't bite you. She didn't even touch you."

"No!" I fought against him. I didn't want to look in the mirror. I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my eyes with my hand. I heard him sigh.

"Mel, open your eyes. I promise you aren't a vampire. I wouldn't lie to you," he said. As if I was in a horror movie I peeked at the mirror through my fingers and almost screamed. I gaped at my reflection–I was normal. I took my hands away from my eyes and touched my face. I couldn't believe it. My eyes were green again and I wasn't ridiculously beautiful. I was _me_ again.

"Oh Paul!" I cried, flinging my arms around him.

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "See? You're fine."

"I had a dream that I…I was a vampire…and you thought I was disgusting." Tears were streaming steadily down my cheeks now. "I had red eyes and I was so scared. I thought…I thought you hated me. You…you called me a monster."

"It's okay," he said. Then, I felt him chuckle. "Jared and I were scared you had hit your head a bit too hard and had lost your mind."

I looked up into his eyes, smile spreading across my face at what he had said. Then, I felt an intensity deep within myself that was unfamiliar. Within Paul's eyes, I could s that intensity mirrored there along with desire. Without any words, he kissed me hard on my lips, and I kissed him back with everything I had in me. He pulled me into our bedroom with our lips still locked together, and fell onto the bed. The heat that radiated off of him engulfed me, but it was a soothing heat. The strap of my tank top slipped off my shoulder and I stiffened, realizing how serious this was getting. Paul hesitated too, and I looked away from him–I didn't know what I wanted.

Was it wrong to want to be with someone you loved? I decided it wasn't wrong at all.

"It's okay," I said, meeting his eyes again.

"I don't know…" he said, now it was his turn to look away.

"I'm okay," I said. "If you're not…"

"I don't want to force you," he said.

I took his face in my hands and turned his head so he was forced to look at me. "You aren't."

"I don't want to hurt you," he said, voice sounding broken.

"Why would you think that?" I gasped.

"I could crush you–you're so breakable, Mel."

"You won't," I whispered. I kissed him again, and then, we made love as our worlds exploded with passion and love.

My head was against Paul's shoulder and I sighed happily. My head was hazy, but it was a happy haze. I was a little sore…in a place I had _never_ been sore before, but other than that I was fine. Paul had his arms wrapped tightly around me. I could tell he was calm.

"Are you…okay?" he asked softly.

I gave him an odd look. "Of course."

"I didn't want to hurt you," he said quietly.

I gave him a wry smile. "You didn't, don't worry. You can't crush me _that_ easily."

"You have no idea…" he trailed off. The look on his face broke my heart into a million little pieces. He legitimately thought he could crush me.

"So, who was in here?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Some bloodsucker, she had dark hair, it was almost black, actually," he said. "She kind of looked like you actually."

I stiffened. "She…she looked like me?"

I felt him stiffen too. "Yeah…she did."

"Do you think it was my mom?" I whispered.

He hesitated. "I don't know. It could've been. I could see some resemblance between the two of you."

_Alice should know about this. _I thought. _Alice __needs__ to know about this. _I made a mental note to tell her later on.

"You should sleep," Paul said quietly. "I'll keep you safe."

I nodded sleepily, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, right before falling right to sleep. Again, I dreamed I had been turned. This time, Alice and I were in the forest behind the Cullens' house. She was teaching me how to hunt animals and assured me that it would bring the red out of my eyes and make them golden. Yeah, this was all fine and dandy, but I couldn't find it in me to concentrate on what I had to do.

"Mel, come on, concentrate. What do you smell?"

I took a deep breath. Everything. I could smell everything. "Alice, I can smell everything out here, what am I supposed to be focusing on…" I trailed off. I smelled it then. It made my throat burn insanely.

A smile spread across her face. "You smell the blood, don't you?" I nodded, throat hurting too badly to form words. "Follow the scent; I'll be right behind you."

I shot off in the direction that I had smelt the blood from, and pounced onto an elk. My teeth sank into it as if it was nothing and I drained the life out of it.

I looked up at Alice, and she looked proud of me. "Good job, Mel, you didn't even get any blood on you."

I stood up and looked down at myself. She was right; there was no blood on me. There were some twigs and leaves on me, so I brushed them off of me.

"Where's Paul?" I complained as we walked back to the Cullen house.

"He's…not here," she said, not meeting my eyes.

"He thinks I'm disgusting, doesn't he?" I asked.

"No, the eyes just freak him out," she said, trying unsuccessfully to soothe me. I didn't like being away from him–even if he did stink. "You may never go back to him."

My eyes snapped up to reach hers. "Why?!"

"Because to him…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "You're a monster, now."

Why did all my dreams lately end with someone calling me a monster?


	31. Chapter 6: Faker

**AN: Let me know what you think of changing to third person perspective when it's in someone's POV other than Mel's, and let me know what you think of me switching up the POV's sometimes. Sometimes we just need to look at things from another perspective, right? Enjoy! **

**Chapter 6: Faker**

When I woke up I was alone and I had tears stinging at my eyes. I looked around myself, sniffling. Where had Paul gone? My eyes caught a folded piece of paper on the night stand, so I reached over and grabbed it. I unfolded it to see Paul's messy handwriting scrawled across it saying:

_**Mel, I had to go running with Sam. I won't be home until late tonight, Jared still isn't well enough to come out. Don't wait up for me. **_

_**I love you.**_

–_**Paul**_

Oh. Okay. Now what could I do? I decided to call Johnny. Maybe I could go into work. I hadn't had any hours lately, but I _did_ know why, he had explained about the people he hired for the summer, but it still irritated me that I wasn't working. Also, I just wanted a distraction from the dream I had just had. If I was here alone all day my mind would get the best of me and I would be super paranoid that someone was in the apartment, and I definitely did _not_ need that. I knew Johnny would get annoyed that I was calling, but I couldn't stop myself from dialing.

"Can I come in today?" I asked

"No, Mel," he said. He sounded exhausted.

I groaned. "Can I ask why?"

"Because we don't need you today," he explained. "We have enough cashiers working already and we don't need anyone else today; it'd get too crowded."

"When am I working again?" I asked.

"When school starts again, unless I call you before that," he said. "We got a bunch of kids come in who wanted summer jobs, but once school starts up again they'll go and your hours will be normal again."

"Alright, thanks, Johnny," I said.

"Bye Mel, and sorry," he said before the line went dead.

I cleaned the apartment…again. I absolutely hated having nothing to do. I felt so restless. I made myself some food, ate it, and then saved the rest for Paul. I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Apparently the power had (miraculously) come back on just minutes after I had passed out. I sighed. There was nothing to watch and nothing to do.

I turned off the TV and leaned against the couch cushions, blowing all the air out of my lungs. There was something nagging at my brain. There was _something_ I had to do. No…not something I had to do, but it was like I had to tell someone something–but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was. My phone rang, making me jump, and I looked at the caller ID to see that it was Jared. For once, I was happy to get a call from him.

"Hello?"

"Mel!" he said happily, still sounding stuffed up. "Are you alright? After I left, Paul didn't tell me what happened with the bloodsucker."

"I'm fine," I said, not wanting to talk about it very much. "How are you?"

"Been better," he said. "What happened with the vamp, though? Sam and Paul didn't give me many details. You good?"

"Yeah, Paul took care of her," _sort-of._ I added silently.

"Good," he said. "If you got hurt, or turned–"

I cut him off. "If you value my sanity you won't finish that sentence."

"Alright," he said. It sounded like he understood, but I knew he didn't. "Could you do me a favour?"

"What is it?"

"I ran out of allergy meds, could you get me some?"

"Sure," I said. He told me what kind to get him and I wrote it down. "I'll be there soon." I ended the call and drove to the pharmacy. I grabbed his meds, paid, drove to his house, and knocked on the door. No answer.

_Really? _

Maybe he was in the shower? No, I doubted it. I walked around his house to the backyard and saw him there lounging on some patio furniture, looking totally relaxed–and not sick at all.

"What did you say you were allergic to, again?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. He jumped about three feet in the air when he heard my voice. "Forgot I was coming, huh?"

"Uh…dust, I'm allergic to dust," he said quickly. _Too _quickly.

"Really?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "So if you're allergic to dust, why can't you just step outside where there _isn't _any dust and run with Sam?

"Please don't tell him?" he begged. "I'm still stuffed up."

"But you're outside, and you're allergic to what's out here, aren't you?"

"I'm allergic to pollen, but it isn't as bad today," he said with a sigh.

"So then why didn't you tell Sam?"

"I was testing it out. I was going to call him if it wasn't that bad anymore–which it isn't," he said.

I tossed the meds and my phone at him. "Call him."

He dialed the number for Sam and Emily's house, but had to leave a message with Em since Sam obviously wasn't home. While he did that, I sat down on a chair across from him, not meeting his eyes. I was still freaked out about the dreams I had had.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. I could feel his eyes on me.

"No, I just–"

"Something's bothering you," he cut me off. I opened my mouth to disagree, but he cut me off again before I could say anything. "You can't lie to your imprint, Mel. I can tell there's something wrong. Paul probably can too, but he doesn't want to pry–that is, if you haven't already talked to him about it. Talk to me."

I met his eyes and I felt an overwhelming sense of safety. I felt like I could trust him. "I…I keep having these dreams–well, they're more like nightmares."

"Tell me about them," he said gently.

"In them…I'm a vampire." He made a face when I said that, but I ignored it and continued. "And…and Paul hates me. He thinks I'm monster. He…he can't stand the sight of me." Tears threatened to surface, but I blinked them away. "And it's just awful. It's really starting to scare me." I really hated breaking down in front of anybody, so you can imagine my embarrassment when tears began to roll down my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly and sniffled.

"Hey, it's okay," he said, reaching out and pulling me into his arms. "You aren't one of them, and you aren't anything like them. You have an entire wolf pack protecting you–you have nothing to worry about. You're probably the safest girl alive. You've got two guys who turn into giant wolves who always know when you're hurt or in trouble protecting you."

I sobbed into his chest. "But what if it comes true? What if I ever do get turned? Will Paul hate me? Will you hate me?"

"No, I don't think he would, I don't think _anything_ will make him hate you," he said. "And I can guarantee that nothing will ever make me hate you."

I sniffled. "Thank you, Jared."

"No problem," he said with a smile tugging at his lips. "It's my job."

I smiled at him, feeling, for one of the first times, comfortable and safe in Jared's strong arms. Maybe this could actually work out.

Then again–maybe not, Jared knew that he was walking a very thin line. He knew this was the last chance I was giving him. If he tried anything stupid with me again, I wouldn't even look at him anymore, and he knew it. He knew that if he fucked up again, it'd be the last time he'd get the chance to fuck up. I wasn't going to give him another chance.

He had crossed that line before, and I was sick and tired of it. I didn't want to constantly think that he'd try to kiss me when we were together.

_**Jared**_

Holding Mel in his arms like this was amazing. Even though she was crying, it felt _good_ to hold her. What was it about her that made him want her so badly? Maybe it was the fact that she was completely off limits to him. Every time he saw her, he just wanted to grab her and kiss her. He knew she'd get mad at him for it, but he couldn't help thinking that way.

It also didn't help that he had a direct line into Paul's head. Through that line he basically knew what it was like to wake up next to Mel every morning, and he knew what it was like to kiss her. Of course, he couldn't actually know what it _felt_ like to kiss Mel–well, at least not when she actually _wanted_ to kiss said person.

He knew Paul tried to mask his thoughts of Mel from him. Paul knew how bad it was for him–even if he hated to admit it. They were brothers above anything else and they looked out for each other. Even though Paul did do a pretty good job of hiding his thoughts about Mel, things still slipped through, and Jared couldn't bring himself to blame him.

He groaned silently. He just wanted to experience the love Mel felt for Paul. He longed for her to look at him the way she looked at Paul.

He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, but he couldn't. Instead he pushed some hair away from her face, which was still wet with her tears. As soon as he touched her face like that, he felt her stiffen. She had been completely at ease in his arms, until he had done that.

_Great,_ he thought. _I've completely screwed this up–again._

She detached herself from him, stood up, and met his eyes–she almost looked embarrassed.

"I should get going," she said, chewing on her lip.

He tried not to let his disappointment show too much on his face. "Alright."

Her expression softened immediately. "It's just…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"It's okay," he said immediately, not wanting to upset her. "I understand."

She smiled at him, thanking him with her eyes. She looked like she was about to burst into tears again, so he stood up and pulled her into a hug again.

"Seriously, Mel, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me," he said.

She rested her head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Jared, thank you so much for today. You…you really helped me."

"It's what I'm here for," he said.

She stepped out of his arms and he almost felt cold. That was something he hadn't felt in a _long_ time. He wanted so badly to just steal a quick kiss on her cheek, but he figured that'd just end in him getting slapped and ignored–again. So he settled for walking her out to her car and watching her drive away.

And that was it. Then she was gone again.

He sighed and went back into his house. He went into his bedroom and flopped on his back onto the bed, hearing the bed springs creak under his weight. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

If only he had seen her first. If he had met her before Paul he'd be with her. Sure, they'd both still be imprinted on her, but she probably would've chosen him. Paul was lucky and got to her before he could've.

Jared blew all the air out of his lungs. He wanted to be with Mel. He wanted so badly to hold her in his arms and wake up with her. He wanted to see her first thing in the morning when he woke up, and he wanted his face to be the first thing she saw when she woke up. He wanted her to feel comfortable in his arms…and he wanted her to kiss him with the love she felt for Paul.

He raked his hands through his hair. This was so damn frustrating! Why did this have to happen? Why did he have to imprint on her?

No–that wasn't right. He didn't regret the fact that he was imprinted on her. It was more a question of, _why did he have to imprint on her second?_ He wished he could be with her, but he knew that in the end it'd only be better for him. She wanted to be with Paul, not him. He'd have to settle for–though he hated to admit it–being in her life as a brother. That was better than nothing, wasn't it?

Jared sighed. He knew that'd never be good enough. He'd always hope for more when it came to Mel.

Maybe, one day, it wouldn't work out between her and Paul, and she and Jared would be together. He doubted it, but he could only hope. He hated to hope that Paul and Mel would break up, but he couldn't help it.

He wanted her.


	32. Chapter 7: Surprise

**Chapter 7: Surprise**

_**Mel**_

I was at Emily and Sam's place, helping Emily cook. The guys were out, doing some wolf-business. I wasn't sure if they were running the border today or if they were just going over things about the pack.

"What's it like?" Emily asked quietly. I'm sure my face looked like a question mark, because she quickly explained, "Having both of them imprinted on you."

"It's weird," I said honestly. "It always feels like I'm going to tear them apart or something."

"They're brothers," she said quietly.

"I know, that's what makes it worse."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it–or at least I'd try not to. Their pack is strong," she said.

"I try not to," I said with a smile. "But it's really hard."

We couldn't talk any more about it because just after that, Jared and Paul came in. I was going to ask where Sam was, when Jared started talking.

"Em, did you make muffins?" he asked.

"Not today," she said. "Mel and I made burgers."

"You helped?" Paul asked incredulously. I nodded and he started laughing. "She actually let you help her?"

"She's not _you_," she said

I grinned smugly at him.

"She kicked me out of the kitchen last time I tried to help," he said, entwining his fingers with mine. Emily put a plate of burgers on the table and everyone dug him. Sam still hadn't come in, but no one seemed bothered by it. I had to give the rest of my burger to Paul to finish; it was too big for me.

Sam came in after that with no explanation, but he cast a sly smile at Em, and he shared a look with Paul and Jared that had me wondering what the hell was going on.

"Em, come here," Sam said after we had all left the table. She, however, was still in the kitchen, stirring something in a bowl with a whisk. I was curled on the couch with Paul, and he was rubbing my arm.

"What?" she asked, obviously not wanting to put down whatever she was making.

"Just come," he said.

She sighed and put the bowl down on the counter and went over to where Sam was waiting.

"What is it?" she asked.

Without any hesitation, he dropped down on one knee, and held her hand. Her free and flew to her mouth to stop from making a noise, and I gasped.

"Em, I love you so much, and I want to spend forever with you," he said. "Will you marry me?"

Tears spilled over her eyelids, and she just nodded, as if she couldn't form the words. She looked _so happy_. The look on Sam's face could only be described as joyous. He pulled a small jewelry box out of his pocket, and opened it, revealing a _gorgeous_ ring. He slipped it onto her finger.

I got up gave Emily a tight hug, and Jared and Paul clapped Sam on the back congratulating him. I figured they had been in on it, that's why they had been so nonchalant about him not coming in with them.

For a while after that, Paul and I hung out at their place for a while, and then decided to give them some time alone together and left. We curled together in bed, and I tried to get as close to Paul as I could.

"You know I would never want anything to hurt you, right?" he asked quietly.

I gave him an odd look. "Of course I know that."

"_I _don't ever want to hurt you."

"You won't," I said. He didn't say anything and looked away from me. I turned his face back to mine. "Why are you talking about this?"

He was quiet for a bit. "I see what Sam has done to Em. I have a worse temper than Sam."

"Paul," I said sharply. "Stop thinking like that, okay? I love you. No matter what happens, I'll always love you. Look how happy they are together. She still loves him even after what happened. They got _engaged_ today. I know we aren't perfect, but if anything happens to me because of what you are, we'll work our way through it." He didn't say anything and looked away from me again. I tried to catch his gaze, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Sometimes I think it'd just be better if I was away from you…or if you were with Jared," he finally said, still not looking at me.

"Why?" I asked, hearing my voice shake.

He glanced at me, and then looked away quickly, seeing the hurt on my face. "I can't bear to hurt you, Mel. You mean so much to me already. During Spring Break, when that bloodsucker hurt you…I-I didn't know what I was going to do with myself. I was _so _scared that you were going to…" His Adam's apple bobbed. "To die."

"Paul, please stop," I said fiercely. "I can't live without you." I held onto him as if he was a lifeline. "If I get hurt, it's not your fault, it's mine."

"But–" he started and I cut him off.

Spring Break wasn't your fault or the Cullens'. It was _my_ fault. Mine. _I _was the one who went out there in the first place, not you. If something happens to me, I need you to be there for me, not blame yourself." He sighed and still didn't say anything. I turned his face to mine, forcing him to look into my eyes. "Paul, I'm only human, I'll get hurt no matter what."

"If you were a bloodsucker you wouldn't," he grumbled.

"Why would you say that?" I whispered, eyes widening.

"Because that's something _they_ can give you and I can't."

"Who says I want that?" I asked, ignoring the wave of nausea that rolled through me at his words.

"All I know is that since you've been with me you've gotten hurt more times than in your entire life. You've told me that you've never broken a bone or got seriously hurt, then that bloodsucker bites you, almost turns you, and breaks two of your bones."

"I chose that," I said. "I know the risk of being with you and being friends with the Cullens, and I've chosen it. I'd rather get hurt every day and be with you than have you think I'm a monster and never get hurt.

"Why would you think that I would ever think of you as a monster?" he whispered.

"If I were like them, you'd hate me," I said. "You'd think I was a monster."

He gaped at me. "I think it'd be the other way around."

"No," I said. "It wouldn't be. I've seen it."

"You've seen it?" he asked.

"My dreams. I had the one about me just being turned that I told you about yesterday, and then I had another one this morning. I was going to tell you about it, but you were already gone when I woke up."

"What happened in the latest one?" he asked gently.

"Alice was teaching me how to hunt, and right before I woke up she told me I was a monster to you." I felt my lip tremble, but I bit down on it. No. I would _not_ break down and cry other this again.

"It's okay," he soothed. "You're here, you're with me, and I would _never_ think of you as a monster…no matter what happened."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "Thank you Paul."

"For what?" he asked.

"Everything."


	33. Chapter 8: Escape

**Chapter 8: Escape**

I groaned as my alarm went off at seven o'clock and got out of bed to get ready for school. We had only been back about a week and I was already sick of it. I looked at my phone to see that it was September thirteenth. Something was special about today, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

_Oh yeah, _it was Bella's birthday today. Alice was having a big party for her. She had invited me, but I decided against it. Bella should just be with the Cullens on her birthday without me barging in on everything.

I reluctantly left the apartment. I had _finally_ mastered being quiet enough to leave without waking Paul up. Yeah, it was pretty pathetic how proud of myself I was for it, but that's not the point. He got to sleep longer which was good for both of us.

When I pulled into the school parking lot, Alice skipped over to my car before I even got out, so I knew that Bella hadn't arrived yet.

"Why can't you come tonight?" she pouted.

"Wolf business," I lied, not meeting her eyes as I got out of my car and hefted my bag over my shoulder.

"Liar," she muttered.

"Hey! I'm not lying!" I tried to defend myself and thought up a quick lie. "The guys have some business to attend to, and Emily and I have some errands to run. Maybe I should've said _imprint_ business."

Alice sighed dramatically. "It'd be fun if you were there, though."

"Does Bella even know it's happening?" I asked, leaning against my car.

"Nope!" Alice grinned. "I love surprises.

"She won't."

"I don't care," she said smugly.

"Well, here she comes," I said. I watched as Bella's bright red Chevy truck pulled into the parking lot and into a space beside Edward's Volvo.

"Gotta go!" Alice said, skipping over to where Bella had parked.

I went into the school and hesitated before going to gym. I _really_ didn't want to go but before I could do the wrong thing and skip I went into the gym.

"Coach?" I asked.

"Yeah, Harmen?" he asked, turning to face me.

"Volleyball," he said gruffly. "Go get changed."

I wanted to ask if he was serious, but I bit my tongue and trudged into the change room. I sluggishly got changed. The other girls in the change room seemed to feel sluggish this morning as well, because no one was moving fast. Gym itself was awful. Normally, I don't mind volleyball, but today it just didn't go well. I almost got hit in the face with the ball numerous times. The rest of my classes went exactly the same way. It was a strange day–it was as though something bad was going to happen. It just felt like something was _off_ in the air today.

"Hey Jess!" I smiled brightly at her in Spanish.

"Hey Mel," she said, flipping through her notes.

"How's your day going?" I asked, trying as hard as I could to sound nonchalant.

"Pretty good," she said, still not meeting my eyes. _Rude. _"How's yours?"

"Been better," I admitted.

"What's wrong?" she asked, finally looking at me. Her eyes were hungry for gossip and I had to fight against the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"Nothing really," I said. "Today just feels weird, like something bad is going to happen, you know? Nothing seems to be going right today."

"Oh," she said. I literally saw her face fall in disappointment. Obviously that hadn't been the type of gossip she was hoping for.

I sighed. I guess I was the only one feeling this way. Thankfully it was last period–I couldn't wait to go home, curl up in a little ball on my bed and sleep the afternoon away. Emily and I had no plans to run errands this afternoon, so I was looking forward to just relaxing in the apartment.

_Shit! _I shouldn't have thought about that! Now Alice would know I had lied to her. Of course, when I left Spanish, there she was standing outside the classroom door, tapping her foot and scowling at me.

"Hey," I squeaked.

"Come with me," she growled.

"Where are we going?"

When she saw I hadn't moved, her scowl deepened. "So help me God, Melanie Harmen, I will care you out to your car if you don't move."

"Where are we going?" I asked again, planting my feet,

"Don't do this," she warned.

"Alice, I have to go home," I insisted.

"Liar," she said, tugging at my arm. I was going to push her as far as I could, and hopefully if I pushed her hard enough she'd give in and let me get away with just going home. I knew it was a long shot, but I had a sliver of hope.

"Alice, please," I begged. "I just want to go home."

"Edward and Bella aren't going to be at our house until seven," she said. "I need your help."

"With what?!"

"Food!" she yelled in exasperation.

I suppressed a laugh. "Okay, why do you need me?

She gave me a _look_. "We don't have time to cook, and I don't know if what I ordered is good. How do we know what tastes good? Anything I could taste test would taste disgusting to me."

"Fine," I said, following Alice out to my car. "But that's all I'm doing, then I can go home. Promise me that."

"Keys." She ignored what I had said and held her hand out. I didn't give them to her; I just looked at her expectantly, waiting. "Fine! I promise!"

"Good," I said smugly, handing her my keys and sliding in the passenger seat of my car. I felt victorious–like I had won a battle. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," she said, starting my car and beginning to drive.

"What are you getting her?"

"Edward made her a CD–that's from him and me–Esme and Carlisle are giving her plane tickets to visit her mom in Jacksonville, and Rose, Jazz and Emmett are giving her a new stereo for her truck."

"Wow," I said. "That's a lot.

"That's not even half of it," she giggled.

"What are you getting for food?" I asked.

"A giant pink cake, edible arrangements, and we ordered some dinner food–that's being delivered. Chicken, potatoes, the whole nine yards," she said. "Do you think it'll be enough?"

"Well, knowing Bella, she probably won't eat that much. She'll be too nervous about tripping and falling or something."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen," Alice muttered. She pulled into the parking lot of a bakery and she dragged me inside. She marched up to the counter and asked for the pink cake, along with a sample of the type of cake. The cashier nodded, looking completely dazzled. The Cullens had that effect on people. Alice flashed her gazillion watt smile at the cashier, took the plate with the piece of cake on it from the cashier and handed it to me. We sat together at a little table and Alice stared me down as I bit into it. it would have made me uncomfortable, but I was used to be the only one in a room eating when I went over to the Cullens' house.

"Is it good?" she asked worriedly.

"Alice, it's _amazing_," I said.

"Good! I didn't want it to be awful. Finish that piece quickly, we only have a few hours." I polished it off and Alice skipped to the counter. The cashier went to the back and grabbed a huge cake box. It looked like she was having trouble lifting it. It wasn't only round, but it was tall as well.

"We put some cupcakes in there too–on the house," the cashier said.

"Thank you," Alice flashed her million dollar smile again and paid for the cake. We–well it was mostly Alice–loaded the cake into the backseat of my car. Alice assured me it was fine, but I kept glancing back nervously at it.

"What if it falls?"

"It won't," she promised. She drove expertly to an Edible Arrangements shop and skipped inside. I followed closely behind her and I saw that she was already at the front counter of the store. "Hi, pick up for Cullen. And do you have a sample of what I ordered?"

He nodded and turned away from her, then faced her again with a shish kabob that had strawberries, a couple chunks of pineapple, and grapes on it. Alice handed it to me, waiting expectantly.

"Alice it's fruit!" I said. "You can't really go wrong with that."

"Shut up and eat," she muttered.

I bit into one of the strawberries and gave her the thumbs up, so she turned back to the cashier and he handed her another three huge boxes.

"Do you need help carrying them?" he asked, eyeing her skinny arms. The glare she shot him made me think she was going to bite his head off. I practically dragged her out of the store before she could cause a bloodbath.

"Alice how much do you think she'll eat?!" I asked once she had started driving again.

"Who knows?" she asked. "If we have any leftovers I'll sneak them across the border for you. I'm sure those wolves of yours could eat all this one sitting."

"I think _one_ of them could eat it all in one sitting," I laughed.

She laughed along with me as she drove to her massive home.

"Alice…" I warned as we pulled into the driveway.

"I just need some help," she said innocently. _Too _innocently.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What about Rose?"

"She's not back from Egypt yet," she said.

"You're lying!" I said. Emmett and Rosalie had come back last week from their honeymoon.

"Damn," she muttered. "At least help me carry this stuff inside?"

"Fine," I said reluctantly.

As it turned out, I stayed until seven. When I checked my watch and it was close to that time, I almost screamed, but instead I remained calm and cleared my head of my plan.

"Alice?"

"Hmmm?" she asked, arranging some flowers on a table.

"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

"You better come back," she warned.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I muttered. I slipped into the bathroom on the main floor and was super relieved to see that it had a relatively large window in it. I stood in the bathroom for a minute, flushed the toilet and ran the water, not really thinking about what it was that I was doing. While the water was running, I pried the window open. I pressed my ear against the door to hear that Edward and Bella had arrived. I turned the water off and slid out the window.

I snuck around to the front of the house and saw that Emmett was inside Bella's truck. I could see my car from here, but Bella had parked right beside me. If I waited too long, Alice would definitely come looking for me, I knew that. She had probably already realized what I was doing and was just waiting for a moment to excuse herself to come looking for me.

But…if I went now, Emmett would catch me. My feeble attempt at an escape would be the cause of many jokes from him, and I knew he wouldn't pass that opportunity up. I waited around the side of the house, willing for Emmett to hurry up.

I glanced around the corner again to see that he was still there, fiddling with her truck. I turned around and looked in the bathroom window. Alice wasn't there, so I slid the window shit, hiding my escape evidence.

I peeked around the corner again to see Emmett closing the door the Bella's truck. I sighed in relief as he started walking towards the house, but then he froze. He must have heard my sigh of relief, because he cocked his head to the side. _Shit! _I flattened myself against the side of the house where he wouldn't see me and I held my breath.

_Please go back into the house, please Emmett, don't come over here. _I willed.

I heard the Cullens' front door open and close, so I sprinted to my car and flung the door open. I was relieved that Alice had just left the keys in the ignition–how had I not even thought about that before now? That could've completely ruined my plan.

I drove down the Cullens' driveway like a maniac, expecting Alice to stop me somewhere along the way, but she didn't. I sped back to La Push and slowed down as soon as I crossed over the border, feeling relief flood into me. I heard my phone chime in my purse, signalling I had a text, but waited until I pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building to check it.

Once there, I dug my phone out of my purse and saw that it was a text from Alice.

**I'm going to seal that window shut.**

I giggled and keyed a message back to her, telling her to have fun without me tonight. I was still grinning like an idiot as I went into the apartment.


	34. Chapter 9: Gone

**Chapter 9: Gone**

The next day at school I could immediately tell something bad had happened. Bella kept throwing nervous looks at Edward, while Edward's face remained completely neutral. It was as if he was trying too hard to remain aloof. At lunch I noticed Alice's absence. Where was she? I could see Edward and Bella sitting together clearly, and normally she would either sit with them or me, or we would all sit together. Today, however, it was just Edward and Bella, and something in my gut had told me not to sit with them. When Bella put her head down on the lunch table, it just confirmed my suspicions.

In the hallway, I saw Bella walking to class–alone. Alarm bells rang in my head and I made a beeline for her.

"Hey Bella," I said as brightly as I could.

She smiled a small smile at me that didn't touch her eyes. "Hey."

"How was your birthday?" I asked, feigning nonchalance. "Sorry I didn't get to say anything yesterday, I couldn't really find you. Happy belated birthday." I plastered a big smile on my face, while on the inside I felt _super_ nervous and anxious.

"Oh, don't worry about it, and thanks," she said, then bit her lip. "I…I don't really want to talk about my birthday."

"Oh, okay," I said. "But if you want to talk, just come find me."

She nodded and smiled at me, but I could tell her mind was elsewhere. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I walked right into Edward as I made my way to English.

I could tell he didn't know it was me, because from the expression on his face it looked like he was ready to rip a new hole in me, but then his expression cleared and he muttered an apology and tried to walk away.

I grabbed his arm. "Wait."

"What?" he practically growled.

"What the hell happened last night?" I asked. "You look pissed, Bella looks nervous, and Alice isn't here.

"Nothing," he said immediately.

"I know you're lying," I said, crossing my arms tightly over my chest.

"Bella got hurt," he muttered. "And we're leaving."

"You're kidnapping her?!" I demanded, and then lowered my voice. "Those wolves–and not to mention Chief Swan–will be on your ass in a second if you take her." He didn't say anything, just stared me down with his hypnotic golden gaze. I wasn't getting it, but then the realization slammed into me. "Oh my god…no, Edward." He looked away from me. "You can't leave her! It will break her!"

"It's what's best for her," he said softly. "She's been hurt too many times because of what my family and I are."

"No it's not what's best for her," I said. "It will kill her."

"How would you know?" he snapped.

"Because I have it with Paul!" I yelled, and then lowered my voice again. "I know how I would feel if he left me.

"It isn't the same," Edward growled.

"I hope you know what you're doing," I snapped as he pushed past me. I was absolutely furious in English. My mind was whirling with what Edward had told me. How could he do this to her? And what angered me even more was what how he had said that if this were happening to me and Paul that the situation wouldn't be the same. Hadn't he and I _just _had this conversation a couple nights ago?

But then, as Edward's words swirled in my head again, it hit me. The Cullens were leaving. I would never see them again. No more Rosalie, no more Emmett, no more Jasper.

No more Alice.

They were all just going to disappear as if they hadn't existed at all in the first place.

I had to fight the urge to melt into a weeping mess in my seat. I would not break down here in English class. I would wait until the bell rang, then leave the school, skipping last period. I needed to see them before they left.

I watched the clock, waiting for the minutes to pass. The time seemed to go excruciatingly slow. My teacher gave us in-class work to do, and even though it should have been a welcome distraction, I couldn't even bring myself to pick up my pen. When the bell _finally_ rang, I literally jumped out of my seat and ran to my car. With shaking hands I drove to the Cullens' massive house. They were all piling into Carlisle's Mercedes, Rosalie's BMW, and Emmett's jeep.

"Wait!" I cried as I got out of my car. Alice got out of Rosalie's BMW and came over to me looking glum.

"Hey Mel."

"You can't leave!" I felt close to tears, but I fought against letting them spill over.

"We have to," she said, looking out into the forest.

"Why?" I asked desperately.

"Because it's Edward's choice. Bella got hurt last night, and he thinks it will protect her to leave her. He thinks she'll be safer that way.

Didn't I _just_ have that exact conversation with Paul last night? "We have to stop him!"

"We can't," she said. "Mel, I'm so sorry."

"You can't just leave," I said desperately. "This isn't better for her, it's worse."

"We tried to convince him," she said. "He won't budge. He said he needs her to be safe, and the only way for him to be sure she's safe is if he's out of her life."

Tears stung at my eyes again and I could only whisper, "Please." I couldn't form any other words. Alice looked as if she was about to start crying herself if that were possible. She hugged me tightly and I felt her slip something in the back pocket of my jeans.

"Be safe," she whispered. "There's some food leftover from last night–I snuck it across the border to your apartment today. If you _ever_ need a place to stay, the house is here for you–we aren't putting it up for sale…just in case." She let go of me, and when I reached for my pocket, she gave me a look that said, _not yet_.

Rosalie got out of her BMW and came right to me. She hugged me tightly, and whispered, "Be safe, Mel. And…good luck."

"You too," I managed to choke out. Jasper was leaning against the Jeep, looking at the floor of the garage. He wouldn't meet my eyes. Idly, I wondered why, but Alice pulled into another tight hug before I could think about it any further.

"Bye Mel," she said quietly. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," I said, and then louder, "All of you. Will you ever come back?" It felt like I already knew the answer, but I needed to ask.

"Probably not," Rosalie said. "But we'll write to you."

"Okay," I whispered. With one last, final hug from Rosalie and Alice, they got back into their cars and I leaned against my car, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. They drove past me and I saw that Rosalie was alone with Emmett in the BMW. She was clutching the steering wheel tightly and taking deep breaths while Emmett looked upset. It was so different from his usual happy self that it scared me. Jasper was driving the Jeep with Alice beside him, clutching his hand tightly. The windows of Carlisle's Mercedes were too dark–I couldn't get a final glimpse of Esme and Carlisle. I stepped out of the garage and looked back at the now empty house. It had already lost some of its beauty, as if it was the Cullens who actually brought the house to life. It looked darker somehow, less open–less inviting. I really don't know how long I stood out there, but it had gotten dark and had started to rain.

I took a deep breath, and went to get into my car, but then I saw Edward.

"Hey!" I yelled angrily through the rain.

He was getting into his car, but he stopped. "What?"

I had wanted to yell at him to get angry with him, but the look on his face made me stop. He looked utterly defeated. He looked like he was physically in pain. His hair was disheveled from the rain, and he looked as though the life had been knocked right out of him. I knew that technically he wasn't _alive_ but he looked rough.

"I…I hope you enjoy the rest of your life," I said quietly.

"Can you…" he hesitated. "I have no right to ask you this, but can you look out for her? Please, Mel."

"It won't be for you," I said.

"I know that," he said, he grasped my hand and shook it. "Goodbye Melanie."

"Goodbye Edward."

He got into his car, started it, and drove off. I stood alone in the Cullens' garage. I felt empty and numb and sad and angry all at once. I didn't know exactly how to feel.

They were gone.


	35. Chapter 10: Search Party

**Chapter 10: Search Party**

On my drive home I felt dazed. I still couldn't wrap my head around what had happened. It was as if my brain couldn't process it. They couldn't be gone. This was all just a dream, I would wake up soon. I'd wake up and the Cullens would still be here in Forks, and everything would still be okay.

Unfortunately, in the back of my mind, I knew better. They were gone. They weren't coming back.

I walked into the apartment, not really paying attention to where I was going. It was like all my actions had become mechanic and my brain was elsewhere.

"Mel? Where the hell were you?! I called you a bunch of times–I was worried," Paul said right when I was through the door. I didn't say anything to him. I didn't even look up at him. "What's wrong?"

"The Cullens…"

"What did they do to you?" he asked sharply.

"Nothing, they didn't do anything to me," I said. "They…they left."

"Where's Bella?" he asked gently, guiding me to the couch and sitting beside me on it.

"I…I don't know."

"Do you think she's safe?" he asked.

"I don't know."

The shrill ringing of the phone made me jump. Paul left my side and went over to it. I didn't pay attention to what he was saying. My mind couldn't process it. They couldn't be gone–they couldn't have left. I couldn't accept it. For some reason, my mind refused to let the reality hit me. They could _not_ be gone.

"Mel," Paul said softly, coming back into my vision. "I need to go. Bella's missing."

"Don't leave me!" I cried desperately, clinging to his hands.

"Okay," he said. "I won't leave you. Do you…do you want to come with me?"

"I…" I hesitated.

"You know I have to go, but I can ask Sue to come down here and stay with you if you want."

"Where's Emily?" I asked. Emily would be good to be around. I wanted to be with her right now if I couldn't be with Paul. I almost wanted to go to Jared's house, but in the back of my mind I knew that he'd be helping Sam and Paul find Bella…and I knew that Paul would definitely _not_ approve of that.

"She's at the Swan house with Charlie, trying to keep him calm."

I hesitated again. "Then I'll come with you."

He gave me a _look_. "You don't have to."

"I don't want to be alone," I admitted. It was more than that, though. I couldn't bear to have Paul leave me. With the departure of the Cullens it felt like everybody was just walking out of my life altogether.

He grasped my hand and pulled me out to his car. The drive to Forks was very, very quiet.

"What about the other guys?" I finally asked.

"They're already there," he said. He shot a quick glance at me, and then asked, "Are you okay?"

I nodded. I could tell he knew I wasn't being honest with him, but he didn't press the matter any further. When we arrived at Bella's house there was _a lot_ of people standing out front. Sam, Jared, Harry Clearwater, Jacob Black, and Emily were all there. Charlie was sitting down on a lawn chair looking exhausted and worried. Emily and Jacob were standing beside him, talking quietly to him. When we got out of the car, Paul went straight for Sam and I went straight to where Emily, Jacob and Charlie were.

"They'll find her," Emily murmured. "Those boys can sniff out anything."

Jacob looked uncomfortable. I knew he had issues with the pack, but I also knew that he didn't have any problems with Em and me–but I knew it was still an uncomfortable situation for him to be in with both of us here.

"Yeah Charlie," I said. "She'll be fine." Charlie didn't say anything. Emily, Jacob and I kept talking to him, trying to convince him that it'd be okay. It was like I was trying to convince myself that it'd all be okay as well. It was hard, considering I just wanted to curl up into a little ball and cry my eyes out.

"Charlie," Jacob said urgently, pointing in the direction of the forest. Charlie's head snapped up and I saw Sam coming out of the woods carrying Bella. She was pale and looked _lifeless_. Charlie rushed over to her and Sam and took her out of his arms. I saw his knees buckle a bit under her weight, but Sam steadied him. Charlie held Bella close to him and took her inside. Paul and Jared came out of the woods not too long after Bella was inside the house. The three boys were shirtless, and I knew they had phased to search for Bella.

Paul came over to me and tucked me under his arm. He pulled me along to his car and we got in. He drove in silence. Neither of us seemed to want to speak. He didn't turn into the apartment parking lot; instead he just drove right by. I turned to look at him with a question mark look on my face. He didn't take his eyes off the road, so I had to say something.

"You missed the turn," I said quietly.

"I know," he said. "We aren't going home just yet."

"Where are we going?" I didn't really want to know the answer.

"There's a bonfire tonight," he said. I could tell he was choosing his words _very_ carefully.

"Why?" I forced myself to ask.

"We're…celebrating." He bit his lip.

"Oh."

"We don't have to go," he said.

"No. You shouldn't miss it because of me," I said.

"Mel it isn't–"

"Paul, I know that you're happy they're gone," I said. "Don't try to hide it from me because you know I was friends with them. Don't lie to me."

He took a deep breath and raked a hand through his hair. "I'll take you home if you want."

"No," I said immediately. "I don't think being alone will help me right now. I want to be with you."

"Okay." He took my hand in his and squeezed. He pulled up to the beach and I could see that people had already started celebrating. There was a huge fire going already, and it looked like the flames touched the sky. People were dancing around–they were eating, drinking, and just all around having a good time. They were all so happy.

Right away I knew I shouldn't have come.

Paul pulled me over to where Sam and Emily were sitting together–he had his arm around her shoulders and they both had big grins on their faces. Jared was sitting with them, and Paul and I sat beside him. I was surprised that I was sitting between the two of them. I guess Paul was in too good a mood to get territorial over me. I looked around to see the Clearwaters sitting not too far away. Even Seth and Leah were here dancing and laughing.

I didn't really know many of the other people here. Sure, I had seen a few of them in the grocery store during my shifts, but I had never really spoken to them. I could see Jacob, Embry and Quil laughing, and even the elders were cracking jokes to each other and having a good time.

Was I really the only one who couldn't enjoy this? I guess it was different for me, considering my relationship with the Cullens and Bella, and that I had grown up in Forks.

"Paul, I need to leave," I said after what felt like hours, but had probably only been about half an hour.

"Okay, let's go," he said.

"No," I said immediately. "You stay. You should be able to enjoy this."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I got up and started to walk home. It was drizzling a little bit, so I tilted my face up, loving the way the cool droplets soothed my skin.

"Mel!" I heard Jared call from behind me. I ground my teeth and groaned quietly. "Wait up!"

"What?" I demanded. I realized my tone probably sounded harsher than it needed to be, but I just wanted to go home and be alone.

"You shouldn't be alone," he said.

"Why?" I asked in irritation. "The Cullens aren't around to 'hurt' anyone anymore!"

"Still, let me walk you home," he said.

"Will you talk?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

"I don't."

We walked in complete silence. My mind was so preoccupied with thoughts about the Cullens that I didn't even notice when tears started rolling down my cheeks.

"Mel, you're crying," he said quietly.

"So?"

"They were important to you, weren't they?" he asked.

I wanted to get mad at him for asking such an obvious question, but I felt like I didn't have the energy, so I softly said, "They were my friends and now they're gone."

He put his arm around my shoulder. "It's okay."

"No it isn't," I said, shaking my head. "You guys have hated the Cullens since they came here. It's different for you."

"They were a threat," he said quietly. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for Paul and me when you'd go over there?"

We had reached the apartment by then and I felt my anger rising. "How the hell are they any more of a threat than you?!"

"We protect."

"They don't hurt humans!"

"Didn't you see what they did to Bella?" he hissed.

I felt my brow furrow. "So he left her out in the woods. Big deal. He probably left her on the path, but she's stubborn. She probably tried to follow him."

"No," he said. "Her arm."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "She wore a sweater today and when I saw her earlier tonight she had a jacket on."

"She has stitches," he said. "Charlie told us to be careful not to jostle her arm too much when we found her, in case the stitches ripped. And we all know where she was last night."

I stiffened, and I knew Jared felt it, but my mind was whirling. Suddenly it all clicked into place. Edward had said there had been an accident last night and that they were leaving because of what his family was so that she would stay safe. I remembered the look on Jasper's face today in the garage. It had to have been him. Idly, I wondered exactly what it was that had happened. Had Jasper's self-control just suddenly snapped and had he attacked her?

"Mel?" Jared asked quietly, snapping me out of my reverie.

"I'm sorry Jared…I…I have to go."

I stepped out from under his arm, turned away from him and went into the apartment.

_Oh my God._

No wonder Jasper had looked so ashamed in the garage today. No wonder the Cullens had all been so upset and obviously shaken by it. It had been so strange to see the Cullens looking so sullen and sad today. I wasn't used to seeing that. It had been especially odd to see Emmett so subdued. Normally he was such a happy person, but not today.

I stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. I knew that I should probably eat something, but I couldn't even bring myself to open the fridge and look inside of it. I wandered into the bedroom and pulled my comfiest sweat pants out of the drawer. I slid off my jeans and pulled on my sweats, basking in the comfort and warmth of them.

I stared at my bed, debating with myself as to whether or not I should crawl under the covers.

I just didn't want to function. I felt numb and empty. I wandered back out to the kitchen, and opened the fridge. I felt like my body wasn't even under my control anymore, it was as if it was just going through the functions of existing.

In the fridge there were at least five boxes that I knew had been from the party. I pulled one out and took it to the table. I set it down and saw that it was the birthday cake–it hadn't even been touched. I felt tears prickle behind my eyes. Even the box itself still had their scent on it. I pulled a fork out of the kitchen drawer and sat down at the table. As I ate a tiny bit of the cake–it was so huge I could barely eat any of it–I let the tears fall freely. I finally let it all out and bawled my eyes out.

When I was full, I put the cake back in the fridge and crawled into bed. I hugged my pillow close to me, fighting the urge to cry again. I wanted Paul here. I wanted him to come back and hold me tight against him.

I fell asleep before that could happen.


	36. Chapter 11: Argument

**Chapter 11: Argument **

The next morning I woke up feeling gross. I was curled in a little ball on my side, facing the wall. I stretched my legs out and rolled over so I was facing Paul. I was surprised to see that he was actually awake and watching me wearily.

"Hey," I said quietly, trying to ignore the hoarseness in my voice. "I didn't even hear you come home last night."

"Yeah, when I got here you were out cold," he said.

"How was the bonfire?" I asked, sitting up.

He shrugged. "It was fine. Are you…are you okay?"

I shrugged. "I'm fine."

"When I got home last night your eyes were puffy and your pillow was wet," he said. "I wanted to switch your pillow with mine, but I didn't want to wake you up."

I felt my face heat and looked down at my hands. I probably looked like hell right about now. "I'll be okay."

He tilted my face up so I was forced to meet his eyes. "You can talk to me about it if you want."

"I don't even want to think about it anymore," I said quietly. I shifted and leaned against his shoulder. "Can I please stay home today? I don't think I'll be able to make it through the school day."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Of course you can. You don't need to ask permission to stay home."

I shrugged and jokingly said, "Normally you act like my mother and force me out the door."

The mention of my mom made me sober immediately and I knew Paul felt my change in mood. My mom was lurking somewhere as a vampire. Was she in Forks? Had it been her who was in the apartment? Paul's description of the vampire who had been here fit her.

"We'll figure everything out with her," Paul said gently as if he had been reading my mind.

"I don't know if I want to figure it out," I admitted quietly.

"What?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, if she's dangerous, the Cullens aren't here to help–er, tame her I guess. And they wouldn't be here to protect me from her."

I felt Paul's arm tighten around me and felt him bristle. "We can protect you."

Guilt stabbed at me as I realized I had hurt him in saying that, so I tried to backtrack to cover my ass. "I know that, but the Cullens would know how to deal with vampires better, you know? I know that you and Jared would protect me with everything you both have–I trust you and I know you'd do that for me without hesitation. But what if neither of you are around? She already may have been here once. Thank God Jared found me."

"It bothers me that he found you in here when that vamp was here," he admitted. "_I _should've been here for you, not him."

"Are you…are you jealous of Jared?" I asked quietly.

He briefly met my eyes before looking away. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"There's no reason for you to be jealous of him," I said.

"Why were you at his house that day?" he asked suddenly.

The question had caught me off guard and I hesitated. "He…he asked me to take him allergy meds."

"Yeah and then you crawled into his arms and let _him_ comfort you," he said. I could hear anger laced within his tone.

I pushed his arm off of me and sat up. "Where is this coming from?"

"It just…I can't compete with an imprint. I know it's completely fucked up because both of us are imprinted on you, but it's so damn frustrating. We have a direct line into each other's heads. I can see the way he thinks about you, and it makes me want to rip his head off. He tries to hide it from me, but he can't hide everything. Things slip through, even when I'm not even trying to look into his brain."

"It's frustrating for _you_?" I repeated incredulously, feeling my temper rise and anger burn through my veins. "Do you have any idea what it's like to feel like _you're_ the person ripping a pack apart? And you can't help but feel drawn to both guys who are imprinted on you, no matter how much you don't want to admit it."

"You're drawn to him?" he repeated incredulously. I stiffened. I had never admitted that out loud to _anybody_, and I sure as hell hadn't planned on admitting it to Paul. Paul raked a hand through his hair and met my eyes again. "_How _drawn to him are you?"

"Let's not do this," I said, shaking my head. "Can we not go into this?"

"No. I want to." I couldn't tell how angry he was. He was masking it well.

"It's hard to explain," I said. "It's completely different from how I feel about you. With you, it's safe and warm and easy. But with him…it's like it's dangerous almost. Like I have to be cautious and alert...but there's also that sense of needing to know what's going to happen, you know?"

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down but it didn't work. I expected to see tremors roll through him at any moment. "No, I don't know. How can I know?"

"Paul you have nothing to worry about, I promise."

"You went to him instead of me!" he yelled. I recoiled against his tone as if he had slapped me. He noticed my shift in posture immediately and grasped my arm. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to–"

I wrenched my arm out of his grasp and got off the bed. "I didn't mean to go to him to get comforted, I went to him to give him allergy medication and then we started talking. And I didn't get comforted by you because _you weren't here_." I started moving around the bedroom, gathering my things for school.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Getting ready to go to school," I said in a clipped tone.

"Come on, Mel, don't do this," he said. I shook my head and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face and do my makeup. I looked at myself in the mirror and cringed. My hair was a complete mess, my makeup from yesterday that I hadn't bothered to take off was all smudged and streaked down my cheeks from my tears, there were dark bags under my eyes, and in my eyes I could see that I was fighting hard to hold back tears from Paul and my argument.

I felt like all my nerves were completely shot. With the departure of the Cullens, the drama surrounding my mom and the argument between Paul and me–I just felt done with the world. I wanted to curl up in a little ball on the floor and just let everything pass me by.

I took a deep breath and wiped the makeup from yesterday off my face, then washed my face. I brushed my teeth and then started my attempt at taming my hair. When I was happy with the result, I went to go back to the bedroom to get some clothes to wear, but Paul was waiting outside the bathroom for me. I tried to push past him, but he held onto my wrists and pushed me against the wall, pinning me in place.

"I'm going to be late if you don't let go of me," I said.

"I know you don't want to go," he said. "And I know you, if you do end up going at all today you're just going to skip half your classes. Babe, please just stay here. I'm so sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I know you've gone through a lot–I wasn't thinking. You don't need to deal with that shit right now."

Without saying a word to him, I pulled myself out of his grip and gathered my clothes. I headed back into the bathroom with my clothes gathered in my arms and got to work on my makeup. When I was happy with the result, and my dark circles were mostly covered, I pulled on my clothes and left the bathroom. I grabbed my schoolbag and he was waiting by the front door.

"Are we going to talk about this?" he asked.

"I don't have time." I was trying to mask how upset I was with him, but I figured I was doing a pretty shitty job of it.

"Stay home," he said. I could hear that he was desperately trying to mask the desperation in his voice.

"No. I need normal right now," I said. "Hauling my ass out of bed and going to school is _normal_. And that's what I need."

"And I'm not normal," he said quietly.

I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. "That's not what I meant."

"It's fine, I understand," he said, all emotion leaving his voice. "See you later."

I wanted to say more to him, but 1. I was mad at him, and 2. He was mad at me, so I walked out of the apartment and down to my car. I arrived at school and felt like complete shit. I sat in my first period class and put my head down on my desk. Today would definitely be a _long _day.

At lunch, I noticed Bella's absence. I wasn't surprised that she wasn't here, but I was still worried about her. Nobody at our lunch table seemed to want to talk. With Edward and Alice gone, and Bella gone, it was hard not to think about what happened. Carlisle had announced his new job to the hospital this morning–but I knew he and the rest of the Cullens had already been long gone by the time the hospital caught wind of it. Well, I knew that the whole thing was a lie, but it was a necessary lie.

I was mildly surprised that Jessica hadn't started gossiping about what had happened yet. Normally she was the first one to start spreading rumours. I gave it until tomorrow and she'd start. Halfway through lunch, as Paul had predicted–though I hated to admit–I knew that I wouldn't be able to sit through my afternoon classes. So, just before the bell rang to get us to go to class, I went out to my car instead.

I sat in my car alone. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to go home, because I was sure that there would be an ugly scene with Paul awaiting me when I got home. _Better put on my big girl panties and get it over with_, I thought miserably. I didn't want to face him yet. I wasn't ready for that, but I had to do it. I pulled into the apartment parking lot all too soon and sat there for a good five minutes before I took a deep breath and went inside.

I saw him the minute I went in. he looked like he was upset. He was sitting on the couch with his head buried in his hands. I closed the door behind me, making sure it'd make a loud enough noise to wake him up if he was sleeping.

Immediately he looked up, and we just looked at each other for a few moments. Neither of us seemed to know what to say. I guess something on my face told him that I needed him, and he held his arms out to me and I fell into them. The tears that had seemed to be ever constant behind my eyes all day spilled over my lids. I didn't even know why I was crying, but I was. Paul held me close to his chest and picked me up, carrying me into our bedroom and onto the bed. He held me tight against him and just let me cry my eyes out.

"Guess you had enough of normal, huh?" he asked, teasing clear in his voice when I was done crying.

I smiled a wry smile at him. "Yeah I did." We were quiet for a few moments and then I said, "Paul I'm so sorry. I just…I hate the feeling that I'm tearing the pack apart. It makes me feel _so _guilty, because I know that if I do one thing wrong it'll just screw everything up."

"You aren't pulling us apart," he said. "It was really bad when he first imprinted on you. I was ready to kill him, but now we're alright. I still get pissed about how he thinks of you sometimes, but I know he tries to hide it from me, just like I try to hide it from him. Some things slip through though, and it's hard to see him thinking about you."

I _almost_ asked how exactly Jared thought about me, but I decided that I didn't really want to go there. So, instead I asked, "Are we okay now?"

He tightened his hold on me. "I want to be."

"I do too," I whispered against his chest.

I was just about to drift back to sleep when I stiffened, remembering that Alice had slipped something in my pocket before they left yesterday. In all honesty, I just wanted to forget about the Cullens and vampires and everything except for humans and the wolf pack, but I couldn't. The Cullens had been a huge part of my life, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't just forget about them.

"Paul," I said sharply. "Do you know where my jeans from last night are?"

I felt him shrug. "I didn't see them last night, why?"

I disentangled myself from him and stared searching our room for them. _Where were they?_ I looked in the dirty clothes basked and went through everything that was in it, but couldn't find them. I tried to remember where I had put them last night, but my mind was foggy.

"Why do you need your jeans from last night?" Paul asked as I sifted through the dresser.

"Alice slipped something in my pocket when I went to go see them just before they left. Oh, there's food in the fridge for you from the party, by the way. Alice snuck it over the border."

"She came over the border?" he asked.

"Oh just deal with it, they're gone now–and don't forget that you were in Forks last night, so don't start. And she did it to bring you food. Be thankful."

I glanced back at him to see him rolling his eyes, but continued to watch me wearily. After about ten minutes of ripping apart our bedroom, I found them just under our bed on my side. I went into the back pocket and pulled out an envelope that had my name scrawled across the front. I tore it open and began to read the letter.

_Mel, _

_I don't know if I'll be able to see you before we leave, so I wanted to say goodbye to you. I know how upset you probably are that we've left, but it wasn't my choice. Edward felt he needed to leave Bella and Carlisle understood it. He's doing this to protect her, and I hope that you'll be able to see that. I will miss you so much, Mel. I wish I could tell you in person just how much I'll miss you. You've been an amazing friend to me, and my first __real__ human friend in decades. _

_I put a credit card in here for you. Use it as you please–it's yours. Trust me, it's the least I can do. But, I probably have no right to ask you this at all, and Edward would have my head on a platter if he knew I asked this of you, but could you please just look out for Bella for me? You can say no, of course, I won't judge you for it–I'll completely understand if you don't want to. It's just that she's a danger magnet, and I don't want my brother to do anything stupid if something were to happen to her. I can't see Bella's future, because I can't see how she's going to react to our departure. Edward isn't even letting me say goodbye to her. _

_We will all miss Forks so much, but I need you to promise me that you won't write back. I promised Edward that I wouldn't interfere with your life or Bella's anymore. _

_Thank you so much._

_Love, _

_Alice Cullen_

I stared at the letter for a long time. I felt Paul looking at me worriedly, but I ignored him. I pulled out the shiny black credit card, and stared at it in disbelief. How could I take this from her? I know she said it was the least she could do…but still.

I wanted to write back to her, but I couldn't.

This sucked.


	37. Chapter 12: Meeting

**Chapter 12: Meeting**

"Mel, come on, you gotta wake up; we have to get going." Paul's voice snapped me out of my dreaming state. I had been dreaming that the Cullens were still here and that everything was normal, so you can imagine how reluctant I was to wake up.

"What?" I asked groggily. My side of the bed was close to the window, so I reached over and cracked the curtain and saw that it wasn't even light out yet. I rubbed my eyes. "Jeez, what time is it?"

"Five a.m.," he said. "We have to go talk to the council and we have to do it before you go to school."

"Can't I just stay home?" I mumbled.

He laughed. "No. Let's go."

Somehow I was able to make myself presentable in fifteen minutes, even though I was still half asleep. I glowered up at Paul as we went out to my car. This was far too early to be functioning. I went to go to the driver's seat, but he stopped me and said, "I'm driving."

"Aren't we just going to Em's?"

"Yeah, but you're still half asleep–you'll probably drive us off the road." I couldn't argue with that, so I went to the passenger side of the car and got in.

"Can we stop for coffee?"

"No time." He started driving through the familiar streets of La Push to Emily and Sam's place.

"What exactly is this meeting for?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"I thought about what you said yesterday. We need to talk this whole double imprint thing over with them. Maybe they can give us some more information."

My stomach flipped nervously. "Paul, talking about this isn't exactly high on my list of things that I want to do."

"I know," he said. "It'll be uncomfortable for everyone, and I'm sorry, but we have to figure this out."

We pulled up to Emily's house, my stomach knotted in nervousness and my wish for coffee forgotten. We went inside and saw Billy Black, Old Quil Ateara, Sam, Sue and Harry Clearwater, Jared, and Emily all sitting in the living room. I smiled nervously at the room, and then Paul and I sat on the couch beside Jared.

"So, obviously something like this has never happened before," Billy began. "Never in our history have we had two wolves imprinted on one person. It's just never happened like that. So, first things first, we need to make sure both imprints are truly imprints."

The three of us all shifted uncomfortably at the exact same time. I noticed a small smile quirk at Old Quil's lips, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Paul, you imprinted on her first, right?" Harry asked. Paul nodded, so Harry continued. "You knew right away?"

"After I started phasing, yeah," Paul said. "Or…I guess it was the night I first phased. We had gone out before that happened, and then I phased afterwards." I felt my face heat remembering that day. "Then after that Sam told me it was better to just let her go, not realizing that I had imprinted on her, but I couldn't stop thinking about her. That's how we figured it out."

"So, in a way, the imprint set off the phasing," Billy said.

"I guess you could say that," Paul said with a shrug.

"Jared, what about you?" Harry asked, turning to Jared. "When did it happen for you?"

"When she and I first met," he said. I turned to look at him, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. I didn't know this. He had never talked to me about it–or it had just never come up between us. "It was the day Paul phased in front of her and she found out about us–that's when it happened. That was when it all clicked."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Sam asked. "And how did you hide it from us?"

"I put up blocks. You guys just thought it was family stuff so you left me alone. Sam, you even let me run the borders and phase on my own to give me space. It wasn't hard to hide it. And I didn't say anything because I was hoping I was wrong. I saw how Paul and Mel were together and I didn't want to come between that. But then…I couldn't stop myself."

Old Quil turned his eyes on me now and I knew what was coming. I dreaded it, but I didn't break eye contact with him. "What's it like for you?"

"It's frustrating," I began. "And it's confusing. I feel like I'm tearing the pack apart. I know I shouldn't feel like that, but I can't help it."

"And you're drawn to both of them?" Harry asked.

I shifted again, feeling my face heat. "Yes."

"How exactly?" Sue asked gently.

"Well…I'm drawn to Paul in obvious ways," I said, feeling _really_ uncomfortable. "But with Jared it's…different. It's like I know it'll end badly, but I still want to go. Like a moth drawn to a flame." As I said the words I knew they were true. That was exactly what it was like with him. There was that fear that was ever constant with him, but I couldn't stop myself from going to him anyway. Billy and Harry shared a look but didn't say anything. I wanted to run from Em's house. It was_ so_ awkward sitting here between the two of them talking about how I felt about them.

"What are we going to do?" Sam asked calmly. I was glad he was keeping his cool when I could tell that both Paul and Jared were on edge, and I was just an anxious mess on the inside. Jared was sitting stiffly while Paul was shifting anxiously.

"There isn't much we _can_ do," Old Quil said. "They're both imprinted on her. That's clear as day. We can't tell one of them to stay away, that isn't fair, and we can't force them apart, because then your pack will be erratic."

"I know it's confusing and frustrating for all of you," Sue said. "But something like this has never happened before. This is completely new territory for all of us. We'll do some more research and see what we can find out."

_The Cullens would be able to find out more information_. The unbidden thought formed in my head before I could banish it and the mere thought of them sent a pang through my chest. Obviously I had told Alice and Rosalie about both of the guys being imprinted on me, but I had never thought to ask them to do some research for me. They could cover years' worth of material in a matter of seconds no matter what the topic was.

"So we do nothing about it for now," Billy said. "If things get worse, higher measures will be taken. Sam, I'm trusting you to make that decision."

Sam nodded once and the meeting was over.

Paul and I got up and left Em's house, saying bye to everyone. Of course, Em offered us breakfast but we declined. I didn't want to have to rush out of there to leave for school. On the drive back to the apartment, neither of us said anything. As he parked, I unbuckled my seatbelt and went to exit the car, but he stopped me.

"Are you attracted to him?" he asked quietly.

"Not in the same way that I'm attracted to you," I said carefully.

"But you're attracted to him nonetheless."

"I'm more drawn to him than I am attracted to him," I said.

"Would you want to be with him?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"What? No."

"You know he _is _the better choice for you, right?"

"The better choice for me is who _I _want to be with," I said forcefully. "And that's you."

"He has better control of his temper. He's safer for you."

"It sounds like you want me to be with him," I said, feeling anger bubble deep inside of me and crossing my arms tightly over my chest.

"No, not at all," he said immediately. "I just…I don't want you to think that you have to be with me. I'll…I'll understand if you want to be with him."

"I don't," I assured him.

After that, we went up to the apartment, but it was still kinda awkward between us. Paul made coffee while I finished getting ready for school. I sat at the table in the kitchen and watched him. Things felt so tense between us recently, and it had started with the departure of the Cullens. No…now that I thought about it, it had started before that. It had started when Jared found me when I passed out here because of the vampire–my mom?–in the apartment. I knew from our argument yesterday that he was annoyed that Jared had been the one who found me, but I didn't think it would be that bad.

How had I not seen how much Jared was putting a strain on our relationship? How had I not realized that Jared was ever constant in the back of our minds and it was making things between us tense and uncomfortable?

I left for school after I had my coffee and sat in the parking lot. I was early and I was still tired. I watched students slowly make their way into the school. It was strange how much of a hole the Cullens left in their departure. They hadn't been very sociable at school, yet everyone knew them. It was like they were effortlessly popular, and now they were gone.

When I only had five minutes to get to class, I got out of my car and went into the school. I wasn't really up for talking to anyone today. I'm sure people noticed the change in my personality, but I couldn't help it. The Cullens had been a big part of my life, and had left a large hole in my life.

I wanted to stop thinking about them, but I couldn't. I'd instinctively think of something to tell Alice or Rosalie, and then feel the pang in my chest when I remembered that I _couldn't_ tell them.

It was such a tedious situation to be in. I could only hope that the school would get back into the swing of things soon. And I could only hope that Bella would come back to school soon as well.


	38. Chapter 13: Liars

**Chapter 13: Liars**

"I heard there were bears in the forest!" Mike exclaimed at lunch. Bella still hadn't returned to school. I had actually gone to visit her, but she wasn't doing very well at all. She had barely even looked at me, let alone spoke to me. I could tell Charlie hadn't gotten much out of her either. Maybe he had hoped that a visit from a friend would help her? It was the Friday after the Cullens had left, and things were slowly returning to normal. "I heard it on the news this morning. There have been more attacks in the woods."

"Attacks?" I repeated, jerking my head up to look at him.

"Yeah, I heard hikers were attacked by three huge bears."

My stomach sank. I felt like I was crazy for asking this, but I needed to. I could feel Jessica's eyes on me as I asked, but I didn't care. I needed to know. "Do you…do you happen to know what colours these bears were?"

"I think the news said they were black, grey, and brown," he said. "Yeah, that's right. They said it was odd that they were different colours. That normally doesn't happen, since they'd all probably be from the same family, and it's weird that there are even bears here. Why are you asking?"

I felt sick to my stomach. "Um…no reason."

"Mel, are you alright?" Angela asked.

"She's fine!" Jessica snapped with acid in her tone. "The bear story just scared her. Don't worry, Mel, as long as you stay out of the forest no big bad bears will get you."

I wanted to yell at her and remind her that my dad had died of an "animal attack" but couldn't bring myself to go there yet, so I just settled for telling her to shut up and glaring at her. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, trying to feign nonchalance, but I could tell I had pissed her off.

This was more serious than just a scary story. This was my boyfriend murdering innocent people. How _dare_ they have such problems with the Cullens, when they had started doing exactly what they were "protecting" La Push from?!

I wanted to throw up.

"Mel, I think you should go to the nurse, you don't look too good," Angela said.

"Yeah, I'll take you," Mike said. I didn't say anything as Mike pulled me out of my seat, but I could hear Jessica muttering something to Lauren, so I rounded on her.

"What is wrong with you?" I snapped, taking my anger out on her. I needed _some _type of outlet to the anger. "Are you forgetting that my own father was killed in the forest because of an animal attack? So next time you think a story like this scared me, guess again. It's because I'm remembering how it felt to have Charlie Swan knock on my door and tell me what happened. Fuck off, Jessica. Seriously."

The look on her face was pure shock, and then I felt another wave of nausea roll through me so I let Mike pull me to the nurse's office. I had a whole slew of emotions coursing through me, but I mainly felt numb and pissed off.

"Nurse?" Mike asked, poking his head in. I guess she motioned for him to go in, so he pulled me in. She made me sit down so I did what she said and she looked me over. She told me I should go home and told Mike to drive me because she didn't think I was stable enough to do it myself. I handed him my car key and mumbled the directions to him. Neither of us said anything as he drove to my apartment. I was too wrapped up in my thoughts.

To say that I was upset was an understatement. I felt _betrayed_ by them.

Mike pulled into the apartment parking lot and I pointed to my spot. After he parked he turned to me and asked, "Are you okay?" I could only nod. I didn't trust my voice to lie to him. "Are you sure?" I nodded again. "Do you want me to come up with you or something?

Oh _hell _no. I shook my head vigorously and cleared my throat. "No, thanks though, Mike. I'll be fine. See you Monday."

He gave me my keys and walked back to Forks. I felt a bit bad for him, but whatever. He had offered to drive me here, fully aware that he'd have to walk back. I went up to the apartment and paced. Paul was out with Sam and Jared today, so I knew he wouldn't be home until around four. How would I be able to wait that long? I kept pacing in the living room. No. I couldn't do this for the whole afternoon and I definitely couldn't wait. I left the apartment and rushed down to my car and began driving around. Of course it started raining…well, pouring was probably a more accurate description. I was starting to lose hope until I _finally _saw them. All three of them were walking down the street together wearing cloth t-shirts and shorts. I pulled my hood up over my head, got out of my car and slammed the door shut behind me. The three of them turned and Paul's face clouded with confusion as he came straight for me.

"What are you doing here?"

"How could you?!" I demanded. By this point Sam and Jared had reached us.

"What are you talking about, Mel?" Paul asked.

"The hikers going missing in the woods that have been deemed animal attacks, right along with the sighting of three huge 'bears' in the forest!"

"Mel, it isn't us," Jared said.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I said sarcastically. "The Cullens _never_ hurt people on purpose–if they did it was an _accident_. How _dare_ you have such problems with them when you`ve been out here doing worse damage than they've caused?!"

"It isn't–" Sam began but I cut him off.

"I'm sure _innocent _hikers cause so many problems here, right?"

"Mel, listen to me," Paul said forcefully, grasping my arm. "Listen to what we're saying. We haven't hurt anybody."

I wrenched my arm out of his grasp. "I'm most shocked at you."

"Mel, come on."

I shook my head and turned away from them. I got into my car and before I closed the door behind me, I heard Paul call my name again, but before I could look at him and do something I really regretted, I slammed the door closed and sped away. I drove to the apartment, fighting tears the whole way there. When I got inside I threw some of my clothes into my suitcase, feeling the tears begin to fall down my cheeks. I wiped them away in frustration and went to leave the apartment, but just before I could, Paul burst through the door.

"Thank God you're still here," he said, coming right for me. He froze as he saw my suitcase in hand. Shock flitted across his face and he only said one word, "No."

I looked away from him and said, "I don't even know what to say to you right now."

"Say that you'll stay," he said without missing a bit. "Please, Mel, don't leave me." I shook my head, feeling the tears resurface, but I blinked them away. He took my suitcase out of my hand and grasped both my wrists. "Please, baby, don't go. Where are you going to go? This is completely unnecessary. Stay here."

I felt my lip trembling, but I needed to stay strong and keep my guard up. "You've been killing innocent people. I can't live with that."

"Let me–"

"No!" I cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear your explanations or excuses."

"I'm not going to let you just walk out of here," he said fiercely.

I wrenched my wrists out of his grasp. "You can't–and won't–force me to stay."

"Are you…are you breaking up with me?"

"No," I said immediately. "I just…I don't know. I need some time. With this and everything that's happened recently…I have to get away from it all.

"You don't need to do this," he whispered. "You don't need to leave."

"Yes I do," I said. "Let me go."

He gave me a long look, but then he stepped out of my way. I picked my suitcase up again and rushed out of the apartment and into my car. I started driving back into Forks, but once I was over the border I realized that I didn't know where to go. I pulled over and leaned back against my seat, blowing all the air out of my lungs.

Then it hit me. The Cullens were gone. Alice said I could use their house if I needed to. It would feel weird living there, but it was a place I was comfortable in. and it would be temporary. Whether that meant I found my own place to live or moved back in with Paul–I wasn't sure.

I pulled myself together long enough to get to the Cullen house. I knew it wasn't exactly the ideal hiding place–I was sure the guys would sniff me out here, but I was hoping that their issues with the Cullens would stop them from coming here, even though they didn't even live here anymore.

I drove up the long driveway, gripping the steering wheel tightly. I parked in front of the garage–I would open it later after I got settled inside. I got out of my car and grabbed my suitcase out of the back seat. I lugged it to the front door and was relieved to find keys in the mailbox. I remembered the day Alice said goodbye to me that she had said they weren't selling the house "just in case" and that if I needed a place to stay it was open to me. Had she foreseen something like this happening before they even left? She knew about the tempers the wolves had.

I shook my head and went inside. I needed to stop thinking about them. That would be hard while I was living in their house of course, but I just had to _stop_ thinking about them at every turn. I looked around at the once inviting home and felt a wave of sadness wash over me. All of their furniture was still here–and the piano was smashed for some reason–but there was literally no life whatsoever left in this house. It was like it had become a shell of what it once was. It was almost eerie.

I dragged my suitcase to the upstairs bedroom that was considered mine whenever I stayed over. I flopped onto my stomach on the bed. I felt like all of my nerves had just snapped. I felt exhausted and worn out. My head had a dull ache to it that had me wishing for aspirin.

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and I knew who it would be before I even looked at it. I reluctantly pulled my phone out and saw that my suspicions were right and Paul was calling. I didn't answer it. He kept calling, but I didn't answer. He'd get tired sooner or later. After a while, I got a text.

**Mel, please come home. Where are you? Please talk to me. **

I didn't answer it. After that I got calls from Jared, Emily and even Sam. I considered answering when Em called, but I knew I wouldn't be able to say no to her if she asked me to go back. I didn't want to hear about it anymore. I didn't want to hear their excuses or explanations. I was done.

I lay back on the bed, still sad, but also relieved in a way. It would be good for me to get away from the res for a while. I needed to be strong. I didn't necessarily want to completely let go of him…at least not yet. Maybe one day, when I was ready for it, I would let him explain, but right now I couldn't deal with that. I didn't want to hear any of it.

I didn't cry that day as I sat on my bed in the Cullen house, staring out the window and watching the rain fall. I wouldn't allow myself to. I barely even allowed myself to think about them, and when I did a surge of anger would surge through me which would stop any feelings of sadness from coming to the surface.

I allowed myself to really think about things. I thought about my mom. She seemed to be the easiest situation to think about at the moment. Was she in Forks? Was she lurking in every corner? Was she even maybe in this house?

At that thought, fear gripped me and I felt my heart rate increase. Would my mom hurt me? She had recently been changed, and the Cullens had told me about how crazy newborn vampires are. What if she was here? I would be left utterly defenseless.

No. That was crazy. She wasn't here. It was obvious that this house hadn't even been touched since the Cullens left. Even if she had been here there would have been _some_ indication of it. I allowed myself to relax. She wasn't here. I would've known by now. Sure, she may be in Forks, but I was confident that she wasn't here in this house.

That night, I curled into bed and hugged my pillow tight against my body. I couldn't help but wish that Paul was there holding me in his arms as I slept.


	39. Chapter 14: Patrol

**Chapter 14: Patrol**

_**Paul**_

Paul sank onto the couch, holding his head in his hands after Mel left. He wasn't even sure what _had_ happened. She had been so pissed off and upset, but she hadn't even let him explain. What the hell was going on with her? And why couldn't she just talk to him about it?

She thought they were killing humans. He could see why. The reports of the dead hikers had been deemed animal attacks, and he knew that that would hit home with her after what happened with her dad, but shouldn't she know that last time "animal attacks" happened in Forks it had been vampires? And that's what it was this time again–vampires.

He had noticed a change in her since the Cullens had left. She didn't seem depressed or anything, she was just _different_. He could feel that she was upset, and it pained him that he couldn't be there for her. It pained him to know that she was alone right now in her time of need, simply because she wouldn't listen and talk to him about it.

_She'd probably talk to Jared about it_. The unbidden thought formed in his head before he could banish it. He didn't want to be jealous of Jared–he sincerely wanted to believe that there really wasn't anything to be jealous of–but he knew better. Jared would jump at the chance with her, and she wouldn't be able to stop herself.

He raked a hand through his hair and got up off the couch. He began pacing, feeling agitated. He knew this was the feeling that he had to be there for her. It wasn't that he was lost without her, or any of that sappy love crap–he needed to make sure she was okay. What if she drove her car off the road because she wasn't paying attention? What if she was so broken up about this that she did something to hurt herself on purpose?

No. She wasn't stupid. She wouldn't throw her life away just because of this.

He wondered where she would go. He knew she didn't really like any people well enough at school to actually stay with them. Her best friend, Leslie, had moved to Vancouver a few years ago.

His stomach flipped. She wouldn't go all the way to Vancouver to get away from him…would she? He rubbed his face. No, would she miss school because of that?

He laughed in spite of himself. She would take any excuse to miss school.

He also knew that she had family in various states. Would she decide to make an impromptu visit to any of them so she could get away from Forks? In all honesty, he couldn't find it in himself to blame her if she did. Forks was depressing enough as it was, and after everything that happened recently, he'd understand if she'd want to get away.

But that didn't make it any easier to deal with. He went over to the window and looked out.

"Where are you?" he whispered, pressing his forehead against the glass and closing his eyes. "Why couldn't you have just listened to us?"

With a sudden sense of clarity, it dawned on him where she was going. It was so simple! The Cullens' old house was empty. She'd just go there. She knew that he and the guys wouldn't really want to go near there and it was relatively safe for her.

Even knowing this, he couldn't take it any longer. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called her. He didn't really expect an answer, so he tried not to let it disappoint him too much when it went to her voicemail. He called a few more times, hoping her stubbornness would wear it off and she'd answer, but she didn't. Finally, he sent her a text asking where she was, hoping she would answer. He needed to get her to understand.

After a few hours without her answering his text, he drove over to Emily's place. The guys looked at him expectantly, but it was almost as if Emily already knew what had happened. She just got a resigned look on her face and looked away from Paul.

"I couldn't get her to stay," Paul said. "She…she left."

"Where did she go?" Jared asked.

"I think the Cullens' place. Can you guys try calling her? I've called her a bunch of times, but she didn't answer. Maybe she'd be more open to talking to one of you?" Paul hated including Jared in that, but if she had been comforted by him before…

"Of course," Em said. Each of them pulled out their phones and went to call her. Paul sank onto the couch, hoping she'd at least talk to one of them. Emily was his best bet. He figured there was the highest chance of Em getting her than anybody else.

Each of them came back and shook their heads. Paul exhaled deeply. She had probably turned her phone off.

"You said she's at the Cullen place?" Sam asked. Paul nodded. "Then we should go get her."

"No." Emily surprised everyone by speaking up. "She obviously wants to be alone, you guys going there will either scare her or piss her off more. I don't think kidnapping her is the right way to go with this."

"I think we should go there anyway," Jared said. "But not let her know we're there. Just do a sweep around the house–maybe even inside the house. We all know there have been vamps around. We gotta keep her safe."

"Jared's right," Paul said. "I think that's what we should do. Just patrol around the house to make sure she's safe. She'll hopefully come back when she's ready, and if we know where she is for sure, both of us can rest easy."

"Let's go," Sam said gruffly. Paul hauled himself off the couch and followed Sam and Jared out of Em's house. To say he was nervous was an understatement. What if she saw them and got angry all over again? She'd be absolutely _livid _if she saw them there. As they got closer to the Cullen house, his nervousness grew and he felt as though they shouldn't be there.

"Do you smell that?" Sam asked as they stood at the edge of the forest.

Both Jared and Paul nodded. The sharp scent of vampire assaulted each of their noses. Paul's stomach clenched nervously.

"Jared, you go inside, Paul you check the exterior of the house, I'm going to phase and patrol the forest," Sam said. "Neither of you phase unless you absolutely have to. By now she's probably sleeping and we don't want to wake her and scare her. If she's awake, stay away from her room if you can. Paul, you know which one is hers?" Paul nodded. "Good. You can climb up and look in her window–just make sure she's okay and there isn't a vamp in there with her. Jared, see how strong the vamp's scent is in the house–try not to confuse it with the Cullens."

With that, Sam took off into the woods and Paul and Jared got to work. The front door of the house was locked, so Jared slipped through a surprisingly big window and went inside. Paul wanted so badly to go in the house instead of Jared, but was forced to follow Sam's orders. He walked around the house and looked up at what he knew was the window to Mel's bedroom. He could hear her shallow breathing through the open window and luckily there was a large tree with branches that were hanging at just the perfect height for him to climb up and peek inside.

Feeling like a complete stalker, he began to climb the tree. He hoisted himself up to the height of her window and looked inside. There she was, lying in bed, fast asleep and hugging her pillow tight against her chest as if she was seeking comfort in it. He wanted so badly to rip the screen away from the window pane and hold her in his arms, but he knew he couldn't. He was just about to drop back down to the ground when he saw her door slowly open. He stiffened, assuming it was Jared. Why the hell would he be going in there? Sam had been _very_ specific in his orders.

Paul was about to let a low growl escape from him to warn Jared that he may rip his head off for being in her room, but soon realized it wasn't Jared at all entering her room. Before he saw who it was, he smelled it. The icy, sickly sweet scent of vampire hit him dead on and he froze. Were the Cullens back? No, surely they would've seen their cars. He could tell by the vampire's silhouette that it was a woman. She stood in Mel's room, mere inches from the bed, just watching Mel. She hadn't noticed Paul sitting in the tree just outside.

The vamp raised a hand and moved closer to Mel so she was basically looming over her, and that was when Paul couldn't hold it in. A snarl that was more wolf than human erupted from him and then things happened fast. Mel gasped and shot straight up in bed clutching her blanket close to her, and Paul only had time to see the vamp shoot out of her room before he dropped to the ground and pressed himself against the wall of the house.

Paul's heart was hammering in his chest. If he hadn't been there that vamp could've killed her or bit her. Had that been her mom? He hadn't gotten a good look at her face; all he could tell was that she had been a woman. He could hear Mel breathing heavily and could hear her heart beating erratically in her chest.

"What the hell just happened?" he heard her whisper, and then heard her slam the window shut.

Paul walked around the side of the house and slid through the window Jared had entered the house through and tried to sniff the vampire out, but he bumped into Jared as he was walking through the living room.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jared hissed. "I was just on my way out."

"The vamp was in her room," Paul hissed back.

"I've searched every inch of this house, I didn't see anyone."

Both of them stiffened at the same time as they heard footsteps on the stairs. They ran for a closet and squeezed into it, quietly closing the door behind them. Paul pressed his ear against the door. He heard a heartbeat from outside the closet–it was just Mel. He exhaled deeply and heard her turn on the faucet. She was probably just getting a drink. He waited until he heard the water turn off and he heard her trudge back upstairs before opening the closet door so he and Jared could spill out of it.

"We have to get out of here _now_," Jared said. "Sam's going to kill us if he knows we woke her up and she almost saw us." Paul nodded once, and they went back to the window and slid out of it. They were immediately greeted by an angry looking Sam.

"Why the hell were both of you in there? And why is her bedroom light on?"

"The vamp was in there," Paul said. "It was in her room with her. I think it was going to attack her or something. I couldn't help myself…I…I growled at it and that woke  
Mel up but the vamp ran away. I went inside to see if I could find it and make sure Jared was okay."

"Let's get out of here before she sees us," Sam said gruffly.

Quietly, all of them walked back to La Push. Paul felt like complete shit. It was bad enough she had left him, but she could've been killed tonight. Luckily he had been there to protect her.

He needed to make her understand as soon as possible, and he'd stop at nothing to get her to listen.


	40. Chapter 15: The Truth

**Chapter 15: The Truth**

_**Mel**_

"What the hell just happened?!" My heart was hammering in my chest. I had been fast asleep until what sounded like a snarl woke me up. I reached over to the window that I had opened to get some fresh air into the bedroom and closed it, trying to ignore how badly my hands were shaking.

That hadn't been real. It had just been a bad dream. I couldn't remember what the dream was, but that's what I decided it was. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I was just psyching myself out.

I threw the covers off myself and went downstairs. My throat felt dry and I needed something to drink. I padded down the stairs, trying to ignore the nervous feeling tightening itself inside my stomach.

I went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water then rushed back up to my room, turning my light on as I went in. I figured I wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. I sat by the window and watched the rain fall. Had that been Paul growling outside my window?

Whatever–or whoever–it had been, it had sounded terrifying. Had it just been a product of my imagination? Or had something actually been lurking outside my window? I rubbed my face. I needed to snap out of it.

It was nothing. There hadn't been anything outside my window or anywhere near me.

Even though I tried to convince myself of this, I couldn't help but go to the bedroom door and lock it before I turned off the light and got back into bed. I lay back against the pillows and closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep, but it wouldn't come. I just ended up rolling onto my side and staring out my window.

It was one a.m. and I was too afraid to fall back asleep. I felt like I was being completely irrational. I was old enough to take care of myself, yet I found myself reaching for my phone and cradling it against my chest anyway. For the rest of the night I could only stare out my window. I didn't think I got any more sleep after I had been awoken.

By the time the sun rose, I was super relieved that I didn't have school. I probably wouldn't have gone anyway, but I was glad I could just lie here all day. But, on the other hand it was bad that I didn't have school because I didn't have anything to distract me. I was left alone with my thoughts. I had tried to ignore all thoughts about Paul and the pack, but I couldn't help it.

I wondered if they knew where I was. Hell, they probably did, but as far as I knew they hadn't come here–at least not yet. Paul had called another three times throughout the night, but I hadn't picked up. I had wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to and I didn't want to hear him try to explain again. I didn't want to hear it. Was it seriously too much to ask to just be left alone?

Apparently it was, because my phone had started ringing just as the thought formed in my head. For the first time, I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Thank God you answered!" he said. He sounded relieved but he also sounded completely exhausted...but there was a slight edge of panic in his voice. "Where are you?"

"Like you don't already know." I was surprised at how cold my voice sounded.

"Please come home," he pleaded.

"No."

He took a deep breath. "Listen, Mel, Forks isn't safe–"

"Stop!" I said in exasperation. "I'm sick of hearing how it isn't safe where I am! I am my own person, Paul. I understand that you're imprinted on me and you need to know that I'm okay, but that doesn't mean you can control me! I can make my own decisions."

"You don't–"

I cut him off by hanging up on him. He called back right away, but this time I didn't answer. For the first time, he left a voicemail.

"Mel, you were right, I do know where you are. It is _not _safe for you there. If you don't come back, I will come there and get you. I'm not afraid to take you. I know it sounds like I'm being a complete control freak, and maybe I am, but it is not safe for you to be alone. If you aren't back in an hour I'm coming to get you. You need to listen to us. This whole thing is ridiculous and you know it, even if you don't want to admit it. I _will _see you today–one way or another."

Something in his voice upset me. His voice had gone completely serious and calm. There wasn't that edge of panic or exhaustion in it. _Had _there been something in here last night? Had that growl been more than just my imagination? I stared at my locked bedroom door, as if I was expecting someone to burst through it at any minute.

I wanted to go downstairs to get something to eat, but I was too afraid to leave. Paul's message had me rooted to the spot. I shook my head at myself and stood up. I walked over to the door and hesitated before unlocking it and opening it. I poked my head out into the hall to make sure the coast was clear.

It was, so I padded downstairs to the kitchen. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and milk. The Cullens really didn't have much, but there was enough to last for a little bit if I needed it.

I felt like I was hyper aware of everything. As I chewed my eyes were darting around the main floor, and I was listening for any sounds that could be coming from inside the house. It was so nerve wracking that I almost couldn't stand it.

As I was washing my bowl out, a knock at the door made me jump, which caused me to drop the bowl in the sink and caused it to shatter.

_Sorry Esme,_ I thought as I dried off my hands. I walked to the front door but then stopped. Had it actually already been an hour? What if it wasn't Paul? I had been expecting him to come, but what if this wasn't him?

"Who…who is it?" I called out, trying to ignore the shakiness in my voice.

"It's me." His voice was muffled by the door. "It's only me, they didn't come with me, please open the door, baby, you don't sound too good."

I slowly opened the door and saw his shoulders sag in relief when he saw me. I only opened it a crack and peeked out at him. He looked completely exhausted and worn out.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" I asked quietly.

"Can I come in to talk to you?" he asked.

"I'm surprised you're not forcing your way through the door," I said. As soon as I said it and saw the look on his face, I regretted it. I opened the door wider and stepped out of the way to let him in. Neither of us said anything as we walked into the living room. We sat down across from each other. He was on the couch and I was on a chair.

"I want you to come home," he said. "I know that you don't want to, but you need to listen to us."

"Were you here last night?" I asked.

He hesitated. "Don't get mad and just let me explain." I nodded, prompting him to continue, so he took a deep breath. "There have been vamps in Forks. It's them who are killing people, not us. Last night Sam and Jared and I patrolled around here to make sure you were safe. We weren't going to drag you out of here or anything like that; we just had to know that you were safe. Sam sent Jared into the house–don't worry, he didn't even go near your room–and sent me to look into your room to make sure there wasn't a vamp in there. So I climbed the tree and looked inside. I was about to jump back down when your door open and a vamp walked in. she looked like she was going to attack you and I growled at her. That was when you woke up, but she ran out of your room before you could see her."

My stomach tightened. "There was a vampire in my room last night?"

He nodded. "Good thing we were here…who knows what she could've done to you?"

I looked down at my hands feeling embarrassed and ashamed. I had risked my life because I had been too stubborn to just listen to him. I could have been killed or turned last night.

I got off the couch and flung myself into his arms. "I'm so sorry," I said, burying my head into his neck. "I was such an idiot. I don't think I can apologize enough."

"It's okay," he said, stroking my hair. "You know now, and that's all that matters." He was quiet for a bit before he said, "I was scared I lost you."

"I thought you were lying to me," I mumbled against his neck. "I just felt like everything inside of me snapped. I couldn't deal with it."

He tightened his hold on me, and said six simple words that just about made my heart jump out of my chest and almost made me cry all over again.

"I will never lie to you."


	41. Chapter 16: Content with a Wolf

**Chapter 16: Content with a Wolf**

I had thought my dreams about being turned were going away, but I was wrong. In this dream, I was in a meadow with Alice and Rosalie. We were just sitting together. Alice was picking flowers and bunching them together, while Rosalie was braiding a flower into her hair.

I was restless.

"When can I see Paul again?" I whined.

"When your eyes are golden," Alice said, paying more attention to the flowers than me. The way she had said to me it made it sound like she had told me this a million times but I wasn't getting the message.

"What colour are they now?"

"Amber," Rosalie said.

"Isn't that good enough?" I demanded, feeling frustration build up in my stomach.

"Nope," Alice said. "They need to be golden without any red."

I glowered at her, and then turned my attention to the sky. The sun was shining bright and my skin looked like it was made of diamonds. The light bounced off my skin and it just looked beautiful. I glanced at Alice and Rosalie to see that they were deep in conversation.

Slowly, never taking my eyes off of them, I stood up. Neither of them even looked up, so I began to walk to the edge of the meadow, still surprised that they hadn't noticed me making my escape. As soon as I was out of the meadow and into the forest, I ran to La Push as quickly as I could. I needed to see him. I ran straight to his apartment opened the door and barrelled into him.

"Mel?" he asked in surprise.

"Paul!" I cried, flinging my arms around his neck. "I've missed you!"

"Mel, please get off me," he said. Only now did I notice how stiff he was as I had wrapped myself around him and how uncomfortable he looked.

"What?" I asked, detaching myself from him.

"I can't be with you."

"What?" I repeated in disbelief.

"I can't be with you," he repeated. My mouth hung open and I didn't say anything. I couldn't even form the words to express how I felt. He took advantage of my silence and went on to say, "You smell too bad now, and technically you're one of them."

This wasn't right. This wasn't _my _Paul. "One of the Cullens? But my name isn't on that treaty! My last name isn't Cullen. I wasn't even turned by a Cullen!"

"That's not the point," he snapped. I recoiled against his tone, but he didn't seem to notice. "You're like them now. You're basically the same as them. You're the enemy now."

"No!"

"You should get out of here," he said coldly. "Go, before Sam comes. He's probably already smelled you here."

And with that, he pushed me out of the apartment, and I was left outside in the freezing rain. I collapsed against his apartment door and sobbed.

I awoke with tears stinging at my eyes, but I blinked them away. I was here, lying in Paul's arms, safe and happy and warm. I wasn't a vampire, and I wasn't his enemy. I was human.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, stroking my cheek.

I smiled weakly at him. "Nothing."

"Stop lying to me." The way he said it was almost like a growl.

"Just another bad dream," I said, trying to shrug it off. I didn't really want to talk about it.

He held me tighter against his chest. "What happened this time?"

I took a deep breath before launching into it. "You hated me. You told me I smelled bad and I was like the Cullens now and that you couldn't be with me. Then you kicked me out of the apartment."

He squeezed my shoulder and tilted my chin up so I was forced to look at him. "That will _never _happen, no matter what happens to you. I promise." His words brought tears to my eyes all over again, but I blinked them away. He stroked my cheek. "Hey, none of that, don't cry, you're fine now, okay? You're safe. Are you hungry?"

"What do we have?" I asked.

"I'll make you something."

I scoffed. "You cook?"

He grinned at me. "Yep."

"Nah, I'll cook," I said. "Em's told me about the messes you've mad in her kitchen when you've 'helped' her cook. I don't want to have to clean up after you." He glowered at me as I hopped out of bed and went into the kitchen. I decided to make spaghetti and meatballs since it was five-thirty in the afternoon. As I stirred the pot of pasta, I wondered what Paul would do if I was a vegetarian. The thought made almost made me laugh, since I had never seen him go a day without eating meat.

Once the pasta and meatballs were cooked, I decided to play a little joke on Paul. I poured the pasta and sauce on two plates and only put meatballs on Paul's plate, and carried everything into the bedroom, considering he hadn't left it yet.

"Dinner in bed?" I laughed.

"Yep," he said taking the plate I had held out to him. I sat beside him and stirred my pasta in the sauce. He glanced over at my plate, and then took a double take. "No meatballs for you?"

I shook my head. "You know, I think I want to become a vegetarian." I ignored how his jaw dropped and barrelled on. "It's awful how animals are treated, and since you turn into an animal…" I trailed off, watching him stare at me as if I had grown another head. Finally, after a few moments of him just staring at me, I snapped and burst into a fit of giggles.

"What did I miss?"

"I'm not a vegetarian!" I laughed. "I just wanted to see what you'd do."

"Oh you're mean," he said, looking back down at his plate.

"What are you going to do about it?" I asked, taking a meatball off his plate and popping into my mouth.

"You'll see," he said, looking up at me with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes playfully at him and we ate together in silence. We were oddly content with this, but of course the moment had to be ruined.

"Paul, we need you." Sam's voice came from the other side of the door to the apartment.

Paul sighed and heaved himself off the bed. "See you later, babe." He pecked me on the cheek and left the apartment. I gathered Paul and my plates and took them to the sink at the kitchen and started washing them. I heard a quiet thump from somewhere behind me and the soapy plate slipped out of my hand and bounced in the sink, causing water to spray me.

I spun around and froze. There she was. She looked familiar, yet she was also a stranger. She still had the same dark brown, almost black hair, but it was longer now. Even though she looked different I would recognize her anywhere.

"Mom?"


	42. Chapter 17: Mistake

**Chapter 17: Mistake**

I stood frozen, bracing myself against the kitchen counter, staring at my mother. She seemed like a complete stranger, yet she was familiar somehow.

She smiled at me, and the smile scared me. It wasn't exactly _warm_, it was like she was trying to be warm with me, but it just looked feral.

"Hello Melanie." I didn't say anything and she looked at me curiously. "Why are you living here? Your father must be awfully lonely." She took her eyes off me to look around the apartment. Her words sent a pang through my heart and I looked down, biting my lip. I felt her eyes on me as she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Mom, Dad's…" I took a deep breath. "He was killed." I raised my eyes to look at her. She didn't even look surprised.

"So you move down here with a pack of…" she trailed off and studied me. "How much do you know?"

"I know what you are and I know what my boyfriend is," I said. She nodded and I quietly asked, "Why'd you leave us, Mom?"

She laughed a tinkling laugh. "I told you, I had conferences. That part wasn't a lie."

"But you've been gone almost a year," I said. "You wouldn't answer my calls."

"Because now I'm like this," she said, motioning to herself.

"How?"

"Oh, Melanie," she sighed dramatically. "I fell in love with a man who ended up being a vampire and he turned me."

"Who is he?" I asked, hating how my voice shook. I had a _really_ bad feeling about this.

"His name was Laurent," she scowled. The other member of James and Victoria's little coven; _of course_. I tried not to allow the shock to be too apparent on my face. Apparently she didn't notice anything, because she continued speaking. "But now he's in Alaska because he fell in love with one of those _vegan_ vampires." She said the last part in disgust.

"So now you're alone?" I asked, still keeping my guard up.

"Yes," she said, and a ferocious smile lit her face. "But I don't want to be." I stared at her without saying anything, trying to ignore the nagging feeling in my gut that I knew exactly what she meant. "I want you to be like me, Melanie. Just picture it, you could be young forever and perfect and indestructible."

The sad part was I could picture it all too well. I could see myself as a vampire with some type of cool power and I could see myself being inhumanly beautiful and indestructible. I could picture it clear as day in my head. And with a sudden burst of clarity I wanted it. I craved the power and everything that came with it.

But, one thing stopped me. And it was the single thing that kept me grounded and sane. It was the man I loved, and I couldn't lose him because of it.

I shook my head fiercely. "No."

"That's a shame," she said. "Of course, I could just turn you against your will." She took a step closer to me and I pressed myself further into the counter, wishing for some escape route. "Why don't you want it?" At the look on my face she said, "It's him, isn't it? Your little dog pack boyfriend?" I nodded, feeling nauseous. "You realize that one day he's going to imprint on some girl and you're going to be left alone."

"I _am_ his imprint," I mumbled. I was feeling light-headed and woozy. I needed to get out of here or she did. I didn't know how much longer I would last without passing out.

Her face changed from curious to livid in an instant. "He's a _mutt_, Melanie. You can do so much better than him."

"I don't want any better than him," I said forcefully.

"Ah, so you're only thinking about him," she said. "But what do _you _want?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. My brain was fuzzy. I felt like I wasn't getting enough air. I _needed_ to get out of here, but I was trapped.

She gave me a long look and sighed. "I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to bite you myself, luckily I came prepared." I stared at her, not knowing what she meant. She reached into her bag and pulled out a silver syringe. She handed it to me and I took it with shaking hands, still not entirely sure what it was. "It has my venom in it. All you have to do is inject yourself with it–or get someone else to do it–and it will spread through your body." I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my head. "It doesn't matter where you inject yourself; just make sure all the venom is in you."

I still couldn't speak and I had no idea what to say. It was as if my brain had turned off. The only thing I could _really _process was how cool the syringe felt against my now boiling skin.

She turned to leave, but then hesitated and turned back to look at me. "Are you okay here?" I nodded, still unable to talk. "If you ever want more, you know what to do."

And then, she was gone.

I stared at the syringe in my hand as if I didn't know where it came from. Then, my body seemed to move on its own accord and I was hiding it in the bathroom with my tampons–a place where I knew Paul would _never _look. I slowly made my way back to the kitchen, bracing myself on the counter and feeling woozy. I tried to make it to the living room, but I fainted before that happened.

When I woke up, I was lying on the couch and Jared's face was hovering above my face. There was a dull ache in my head that made me think I had hit it when I fainted. All at once everything my mom said came rushing back to me and I thanked my lucky stars that I had had enough sense to hide the syringe in the bathroom before I fainted.

"Mel! Are you okay?" Jared asked worriedly.

"My head hurts," I said, rubbing where it ached and sitting up.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked.

Suddenly I felt cold and shivered. "A blanket."

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. "Why get a blanket when you can have a space heater?"

"How did you find me?" I asked quietly.

"I was going for a walk and smelled a vampire," he said. "I followed its scent back here, but it was gone before I came in. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Not really."

"Was it one of the Cullens?" he asked gently.

"Jared, I said I do _not _want to talk about it," I said, feeling anger bubble in my stomach.

"Mel, I'm only asking because if they're back we can't go into Forks anymore. You know that. I understand if you don't want to talk about it yet, but we need to know that."

"It wasn't a Cullen," I mumbled. It was worse, much worse, than if one of the Cullens had come back for an impromptu visit, and I didn't know what to do with myself about the visit I had got. I would've much preferred to have seen one of the Cullens appear in my kitchen rather than my mom and the new person she had become.

My hands were shaking and Jared noticed immediately. He covered my hands with his and softly said, "It's okay, you're safe now, it's gone now." How odd was it that I felt safer here with Jared than I had felt with my own mother? Did that make me a terrible person?

"Hey," Jared turned my face towards his. "You're safe, okay? You're fine. I'm here."

I looked deep into his eyes seeing an intensity burning through them that scared me, and then I blinked rapidly, realizing how close we were to each other. I scooted away from him, but he pulled me right back.

"Mel…"

"Jared," I said, warning clear in my voice. But, there was a teeny tiny part of me that really wanted to kiss him. I wanted to grasp his face in my hands and kiss him with everything in me, and I wanted to knot my hands in his hair. But, the bigger and smarter part of me kept that little part under control.

"Mel, I really want to kiss you," he said quietly. I move away from him again, shaking my head, but he pulled me close to him again.

"Jared, please stop," I said as forcefully as I could.

"Mel, I love you," he said. "Can't you see that?"

I looked away from him. Yes, I could see it. I could see it all too clearly, and I hated it. I hated that it was so clear that he loved me, because it made me feel even worse that I couldn't return the feeling to him.

"I hate hurting you, Jared," I whispered. "I really do. I hate that I make you feel this way. But we've been through this before, and you know it."

"If I had imprinted on you first, you'd be with me," he said.

I shook my head. "I liked Paul before the imprinting. You know that."

"I guess I'll have to settle for being second best, then," he said bitterly.

"I hate that I do this to you," I said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

He nodded, but then asked, "Can I just ask you for one thing, please?"

"Jared…"

"Please?"

I exhaled deeply, knowing what it would be, but like the idiot I was, I said, "Fine."

"Mel, will you please kiss me?" I opened my mouth to object, but he cut me off. "Just one kiss. That's all I'm asking for."

I looked into his eyes and they were pleading with me. But I couldn't. That was _cheating_ on Paul. "Jared, I'm with Paul."

"But you want to kiss me," he said fiercely. "If you weren't with him you'd kiss me."

"But I _am _with him, Jared," I said quietly.

Before I could say anything else, he had moved towards me and his lips were on mine. Suddenly, I got really confused, and it was like the sane part of my brain had gone on vacation. I did what felt natural; I kissed him back. It felt so wrong, yet it also felt so right at the same time. There was a fire burning between us so intensely I almost couldn't take it. He gently pushed my backwards as his tongue invaded my mouth and I knotted my hands in his hair. In that moment I _wanted _Jared. I could see myself with him, and I craved it.

"Mel?" Paul's husky voice snapped my attention away from Jared and to the front door of the apartment. Paul was standing in the doorway and the look on his face broke my heart. I pushed Jared off of me and stood up, moving towards Paul to try and explain. To try and make some pathetic attempt to fix what I had clearly fucked up.

But, before I could even open my mouth, he turned on his heel and left the apartment.


	43. Chapter 18: Doesn't Care Anymore

**Chapter 18: Doesn't Care Anymore**

"Paul!" I yelled as I burst out of the apartment. I didn't care how crazy I looked–I just needed to find him. I needed to try and fix it. I wasn't exactly sure how I'd do that, but I needed to find him.

"Mel, wait!" Jared called, running towards me.

"I have to find him!" I screeched, whirling around to face him.

"He's upset right now," Jared tried to reason. "And it's starting to rain. Just come back inside, he'll come back eventually."

"No," I said fiercely. "I have to go talk to him about this."

"He probably just wants to be alone."

I looked away and allowed Jared to pull me back inside. I pulled out my phone and tried to call him, but he didn't pick up. I called Em's, but he wasn't there. I groaned and sat down on the couch with head in my hands.

How could I have been so stupid? How could I have done this to him? _What have I done?_

"Can you go look for him?" I asked Jared desperately. "I don't want him to be out in the rain all night."

He blew all the air out of his lungs. "I'm probably the last person he wants to see right now."

_Fine. _"I'm going to go to sleep."

"Okay," he said. "I'll stay out here and wait for him. Let me know if you need anything."

I nodded and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. I pulled a sweater out of the dresser and put it on before sliding the window open and slipping outside. I climbed down the fire escape and walked around La Push, desperately trying to find him. After about twenty minutes of wandering around, it started to pour. My phone rang and I didn't even check the caller ID before answering it. Even under my hood my fingers and ears felt numb from the cold.

"Hello?"

"Mel, where are you?" Paul's voice was sharp and had a very angry edge to it that made my stomach tighten nervously.

"I'm looking for you," I said, hating to hear how weak my voice sounded.

"I'm at the apartment. Come home."

"Okay," I said quietly. He had already hung up. This was _not_ good. I was scared shitless, so I cowardly took the long way home. I relished every second I had by myself. I was dreading the scene that was sure to be awaiting me at the apartment. The one question that kept floating around my head was: _how could I have been so stupid?_

I had known what Jared's question was going to be the second he even brought it up. I should have told him to get out of the apartment immediately. Why had I kissed him? Why had I agreed to it?

When I got to the apartment, Paul, Sam, and Jared were all waiting for me. Instead of coming to me and putting his arm around me to warm me up, Paul handed me a towel to dry myself off with.

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

Sam addressed me. "We obviously need to settle this. My pack is at each other's throats." I could only nod at him and wait for him to continue. "I think it would be best for all of us if you left."

My lip trembled and I shot a desperate look at Paul, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. "Why?"

"I need a pack that works," Sam said simply.

"And with me here that pack won't work," I said quietly. Sam nodded and I turned my attention back to Paul. "You're okay with this?"

He still wouldn't meet my eyes, but one word was all I needed. "Yes."

"I guess I'll go pack my bags, then," I said. I went into the bedroom and grabbed my suitcase feeling a sense of déjà vu wash over me. Hadn't I just done this a few days ago? Tears were streaming down my face as I threw my belongings into the suitcase.

"Do you need any help?" Paul asked. I hadn't even heard him come into the bedroom.

"No, I got it," I said, wiping furiously at my face in an attempt to hide my tears.

"Why did you kiss him, Mel?"

"I don't know," I said, feeling completely worn out and exhausted. "But it was completely idiotic of me and I know that. It was stupid and wrong and I'm sorry and I deserve everything that's happening to me."

"He's like a brother to me," Paul said quietly. "We can't let you get in the way of that."

"I know," I said, pushing past him with my suitcase in hand to go down the hall to the bathroom to gather more of my things. I threw my things into the suitcase and hesitated at the syringe. It would be so easy to just stab myself with it and start over.

I shook my head and buried it underneath some clothes in my suitcase. I wouldn't think about that right now. I had other things to worry about. I dragged my suitcase down the hall to see that Paul was still leaning in the doorway of our bedroom. I finally allowed myself to look at him and immediately regretted it. I could see that he was trying to mask his emotions, but I could clearly see the pain deep within his eyes. He couldn't hide _that_ from me.

"I guess this is goodbye." I hated how my voice shook as I said it.

"Where are you going to go?" he asked in an emotionless voice that made me want to cringe.

"I don't know, but I guess I better figure that out soon, huh?" I asked bitterly.

"Mel, I–"

"Don't," I said, raising a hand to silence him. "Please, don't say anything more. It hurts enough to have to leave." With that, I pushed past him and out of the apartment. Sam and Jared had already left so I just went straight outside to my car. I loaded my suitcase into the backseat of my car and then got into the driver's seat. I didn't allow myself to look back at the apartment building as I drove away. I didn't think I'd be able to handle that.

Once I drove over the border and into Forks the tears that had been stinging behind my eyes welled up and spilled over my eyelids so I had to pull over. Anger burned through my veins and in a fit of rage I hit the steering wheel a couple times, then leaned back and allowed myself to cry my eyes out. It felt good to let it all out. I was mad at Jared but I loathed myself.

When my tears came to an end, I took a deep breath and started driving again. When I had told Paul that I didn't know where I'd go I had been lying. The Cullen house was completely empty and if it had worked for me once before, it would definitely work again. I drove up the long driveway and an odd sense of calm washed over me. Paul had told me that there had been a vampire–probably my mom–looming over me in this exact house, meaning that I could have died here, yet I still felt calm as I pulled into the garage.

I pulled my suitcase out of the backseat of the car and dragged it into the house and up to my bedroom. I dropped it on the floor and flopped onto the bed.

I felt like complete and utter shit.

It was very likely that Paul hated me. I had caused him so much pain. How could I have done this to him? How could I have been such an idiot?

I would be strong about this, though. I had been the one to cause it so now I had to suffer the consequences. I had to accept the fact that it was over for us. I needed to try to move on and put him and Jared behind me, otherwise I would drive myself crazy.

My phone rang, making me jump. "Hello?"

"Mel, I'm so sorry." It was Emily. The kindness in her voice almost made me cry all over again. At least she didn't hate me.

"It's okay," I sniffled. "It isn't your fault."

"Get some rest, you don't sound too good," she said.

"I will, thanks for calling, Em," I said, ending the call.

I glanced over at my suitcase, thinking that I should unpack. I got off my bed and opened it, but the only thing I actually took out of it was the syringe with my mom's venom in it. I took it back to the bed and sat with my legs crossed beneath me, cradling the syringe in my hands.

I could do it. I could just stab myself in the wrist with it and start fresh. I could start over and leave Forks behind forever. I held out my left wrist in front of me. I could very clearly see a vein. Just one little jab and push was all it'd take.

No. I couldn't. I was being crazy. If I did it I would be alone, and it wouldn't be good for me to try to come to terms with it on my own. I put the syringe in the drawer of my nightstand and curled on my side on my bed. I didn't know how I'd manage school tomorrow, but I needed to. If I was going to get over Paul I needed routine. I needed to keep things as normal as possible, just without him.

My phone rang again and this time I checked who it was. It was Jared; I almost didn't answer it, but I knew I'd regret it.

"What?"

"Where are you?"

"Why?" I snapped. I immediately regretted the tone I had taken, but he started talking again before I could apologize.

"Are you safe?"

"Yes," I said. "I…I'm at the Cullen house. Can you…?" I trailed off. What was the end of that sentence? I ended the call before I said something to him that I'd really regret.

Just moments after I hung up on Jared, my phone rang again and it was Paul. I took a deep breath to brace myself for before answering. "Hello?"

"Are you safe?" he asked sharply.

"Yes," I said. "Paul, I–"

The line had gone dead before I could say any more.


	44. Chapter 19: Memories

**Chapter 19: Memories**

The next morning when I woke up I felt gross, but I also registered that something was wrong. Something had changed from last night. There was something different from when I had fallen asleep last night. It was something that was oddly felt familiar yet it was just _wrong_.

Someone was snoring beside me in bed.

My heart almost leapt out of my chest. Was Paul here? Had he forgiven me? Had I just dreamed it all?

I looked at the figure beside me and felt my heart sink. It was Jared, not Paul.

My eyes narrowed and anger coursed through me. Why the hell was he here with me? I roughly shoved his shoulder and he woke up right away. He looked disoriented and rubbed at his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

He blinked a few times as if trying to clear his head, then said, "Last night, on the phone, when I called you, you basically asked me to come to you and I could feel that you were distressed. When I got here, you were tossing and turning. You woke up briefly–I doubt you even remember that–and you saw me here. I was just going to sit in the corner and make sure you were okay but you asked me to hold you." I cocked an eyebrow at him and he hurried on. "Nothing happened, I promise."

"Well…thank you," I grumbled. I wasn't going to hide the fact that I wasn't happy about this. I didn't even remember talking to Jared on the phone last night. I did, however, remember the half conversation between Paul and I…and it made my chest hurt.

I slipped out of bed and started getting ready for school, trying to avoid Jared as well as I could and he seemed to be trying to avoid me as well. He knew that he shouldn't be here. That had been the whole point of me leaving La Push and coming here. As if it couldn't get any more awkward between us, we left the house at the exact same time, and I had to explain to him that I didn't have enough time to drive him back to La Push because I was already late for class. He nodded stiffly and took a shortcut through the woods.

I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel and exhaled deeply. Why had I even hinted at wanting him to come here last night? I shook my head at myself and drove to school. I was super late and Coach Clapp scowled at me but didn't make me change into my gym clothes and let me sit out the class. The day went by too slowly for my liking. It felt like it would never end. I didn't allow myself to think about Paul at all. I concentrated on what my teachers were saying and copied every single note down word-for-word to distract myself.

At lunch I noticed Bella. She was sitting at our table, but she had distanced herself from everyone else. She had a tray of food in front of her, but she hadn't touched it and she was just staring out the window, watching the rain fall. Everyone else at our table seemed to be doing a pretty good job of ignoring her, but I couldn't just pretend she wasn't there.

"Bella?" I asked softly. She very slowly turned her face to mine and met my eyes. She looked empty. It was as if she had shut off all emotion. She was completely closed off to me–and everyone else. This was almost worse than when I had gone to visit her and she had barely even acknowledged me. "Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly, and then turned her attention back to the window. I hoped Bella would bounce back soon. It was hard to see her like that.

It took four months for her to bounce back.

In those four months, I actually got over Paul. It was hard because he'd call every day to make sure I was okay, but I could now speak with him on the phone without getting too upset about it. It didn't bother me as much that I was away from him anymore.

But, of course some things still upset me. It was January and it was absolutely _freezing_ and I didn't have my space heater.

Also in those four months, my mom hadn't harassed me anymore. There had been absolutely no sign of her at all. I knew that didn't necessarily mean that she had left Forks, but after the first month of nothing from her it was nice to reset easy. I found routine in my life. Sleep, school, work, repeat.

At school one day, after Bella had bounced back, Jessica approached me at my locker.

"Hey Mel!" she said perkily. "Do you want to go to a movie tonight with Bella and me in Port Angeles?"

"I'm really not in the mood for a movie, Jess," I said, slamming my locker shut.

"Mel, I know you don't have to work tonight," she said, then added in a hushed voice, "And I really don't want to be alone with Bella."

I sighed. It wasn't just that I didn't want to go to the movie, I was nervous about who I might see there. I knew it was completely irrational of me, but I couldn't help it. It was as if the prospect of actually seeing him made my stomach flip nervously and it brought back a whole lot of feelings that I didn't want to deal with.

"Fine, I'll go," I said and she smiled widely at me.

That night we saw a horror movie with some crappy love story in it. I noticed that every time the happy couple was on screen, Bella would bolt from the theatre. I barely paid attention to the movie itself; I kept looking around the movie theatre. It was as if it was a nervous habit and every few minutes I couldn't stop myself from looking around for him.

When the movie was over we decided to get something to eat at a fast food place in Port Angeles near where we had parked the car. As we were walking towards the restaurant, I happened to look over my shoulder and I froze. Paul and the guys were walking about twenty feet behind us. Jess had already started walking away, not noticing that I had stopped, but Bella told her to wait.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. He hadn't even noticed me yet. Seeing him brought back a whole slew of emotions that almost knocked me off my feet. It was as if we had just gotten into some huge fight a couple days ago, rather than four months ago.

"Mel?" Bella asked quietly. As soon as she said my name, Paul stopped walking and his eyes snapped up to meet mine. We stared at each other for a few moments. I could feel myself coming apart at the seams and I did everything I could to stop myself from going to him and talking to him. Neither of us said anything and it was as if the other people who were with us weren't even there.

Until Jessica snapped me out of it.

"Mel, you coming?"

"Yeah," I said, tearing my eyes away from him and turning back to Jess and Bella. "Let's go get something to eat."

We continued walking until we got to an intersection and Bella stopped. Her eyes were fixated on some guys laughing and smoking outside a bar. Something about them was unsettling to me. They were giving me seriously bad vibes.

"Bella?" I asked.

"I…I think I know those guys," she muttered. She started walking towards them but then stopped after she had taken just a few steps. They had noticed her and had started making cat calls. She stopped and then turned back to us. "Sorry, never mind, let's go."

Jessica shot me a look that said _Hello psycho!_ But I ignored her and just kept walking. We went into a little fast food place and we got our food. As we were sitting down I saw the guys walk in and go up to the counter to order their food. _Of course_.

I kept looking at them, and every so often Paul would glance back at me and I would drop my gaze immediately. I _had_ to stop doing this.

"Mel, who are those guys?" Jessica finally demanded as they sat down at a table far away from us.

"They live in La Push," I mumbled, feigning interest in the French fries in front of me.

"Isn't one of them your boyfriend?" she asked.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Paul's head twitch slightly in my direction, but I didn't say anything. I just gave Jess a _look_ before looking away from her. Surprisingly, Jess dropped it. Normally she was hungry for gossip, but this time she didn't pry.

"You said they live in La Push?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," I said, nodding and pushing fries around in front of me, appetite lost.

"Do they know Jacob Black?"

"Yeah, they do," I said. I left out that _I _knew Jacob Black and that I had even helped him with his homework a few times. Bella nodded and turned her attention back to her food.

"Can I talk to you?" Asked a voice behind me.

I turned to see Paul standing behind me and I felt myself crumble. "Okay."

I stood up and allowed him to lead me just outside the door of the restaurant. I glanced back inside to see Jessica staring at me, wide-eyed without shame. I was glad that Paul had led me outside so she wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on our conversation.

I looked up into his eyes and neither of us said anything for a bit, until I couldn't take it any longer. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, you?"

"I've been better," I said.

"Are you taking care of yourself?" he asked. There was a serious edge to his voice and there was a hardness in his eyes that I didn't like.

"Yes, I'm taking care of myself," I said. I knew I sounded harsher than I wanted, but for some reason his question made me angry.

"You've lost weight," he said, anger lacing his tone. "Don't think I wouldn't notice. Tell me you've been eating normally and taking care of yourself, Mel."

"You think that breaking up with you made me want to _starve_ myself?" I demanded.

He exhaled deeply. "I didn't want to argue with you. I just…I need to know that you're okay."

"Why?" I asked. "You call me every day to find out if I'm okay."

"That's not the same as seeing you like _this_," he hissed. "You barely ate when you were with your friends back there. What's going on with you? Are you sure you're okay?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, does it?" I asked. "I can't come back to you, so what does it matter? You don't care about me anymore because I fucked everything up again."

He ran a hand through his hair and I could tell he was trying to hold in his temper. "Sam doesn't want you to come back."

"I had assumed that."

"That night–the night you left–you asked Jared to go see you," he said. His jaw was tight and he was speaking as though it pained him to say the words.

I felt my face heat. "Yeah…I did."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I don't even remember asking him or talking to him on the phone. Nothing happened."

That seemed to make him relax a bit. "Where are you staying?"

"I'm pretty sure you already know," I snapped. He flinched ever so slightly against my tone. I knew I had hurt him, but I was trying to mask my own pain. And his words were making me angry. I felt tears burn behind my eyes but I didn't let it show. I would _not_ break down in front of him. Not here. Not after four months of getting over him. I would not allow him to see how much he was hurting me.

"Mel?" Jess asked, poking her head out of the restaurant. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go." I tried to push past Paul but he held onto my arm.

"Can you guys just give us another minute?" he asked.

Jess looked up at him with wide eyes as if she was afraid of him. "Yeah…we'll just wait in my car."

Paul waited until they were in the car to continue talking. "Don't ever say that I don't care about you, Mel, because I do, and you know that. But you also understand that I can't just let you come back because it isn't up to me. I understand you made a mistake, but it's not in my hands to let you come back."

"Let go of me," I whispered.

He gave me a long look before letting go of my arm. I pushed past him and walked to Jess's car and got in the backseat. The drive home was quiet. Jess drove to Bella's house where I had parked my car, and I mumbled my goodbyes to them. I drove back to the Cullens' house, trying not to think about what had happened.

I only allowed myself to think about it when I was curled in a little ball on my bed. So, Paul still cared about me. Obviously I knew that; it was the imprint talking. He was forced to care about me, even though I was the absolute worst imprint in history.

For the first time in three months, I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning I woke up with a dull ache in my head. I was glad I didn't have school, but I had to work. I was not looking forward to that at all. I had a bad feeling that there'd be an ugly scene awaiting me when I got there.

As I pulled into my usual parking spot I was mildly surprised that none of the guys were waiting outside for me. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I'd get off easy today.

My shift went pretty quickly, but about fifteen minutes before my break I noticed Sam was walking around. I ground my teeth together. _Why_ had he come here? He was obviously waiting for me to go on break because he never wandered too far from my register.

When it _was_ time for my break, I snuck outside and sat behind the store, hoping Sam wouldn't find me. But, I was having no luck whatsoever and about five minutes into my break he came strolling around the corner of the building.

"You hurt him last night," Sam said.

I leaned back against the wall of the building and crossed my arms tightly across my chest. "Yeah, what else is new?"

"What you said about him not caring, that's what hit him hardest," he continued as if I hadn't said anything."

"Then let me come back."

"No."

"Why?"

"You pulled my pack apart," he said simply. "They hated each other because of you. It's only starting to get better now, but they're still tense around each other."

Anger burned through my veins. "Thanks so much for kicking me when I'm down, Sam. Do you _really_ think that I enjoy the fact that two guys are imprinted on me?" He didn't say anything, so I went on. "I _hate _it. I hate the feeling that I'm tearing them apart, and I do _not_ do that on purpose. I tried to make it work, I really did, but obviously I can't. Obviously I'm too damn stupid to keep the peace." Sam obviously wasn't sure what to say, it was like he hadn't anticipated my outburst like this, so I barrelled on. "You said I was part of the pack before, so that means I have to obey alpha's orders, which is exactly what I'm doing. You told me to leave, and I did. Last night _he_ approached _me_, so maybe you should get mad at him for what happened instead of me. I have to get back to work." I pushed past him and went back to my register.

The rest of my shift passed excruciatingly slow. Sam had left right after our conversation so I had nothing to distract myself with. I tried not to let myself think about what had happened, but I couldn't help it and it just made me angry again.

When my shift was _finally_ over, I went outside to see Paul leaning against the driver's door of my car. I crossed my arms and waited.

"Mel." Was all he said as he raised his eyes to meet mine.

"Can you move? I kinda wanna get home."

"Can we at least talk?"

"No," I said. "I've tried for four months to talk to you, but every time you've hung up on me and pushed me away again. If you want me back, tell me now, otherwise get out of my way."

"I miss you," he said quietly. I kept my guard up and ignored the tears stinging behind my eyes. I would not break down in front of him. "Sam isn't going to let you come back, but I know that you know you made a mistake and you're sorry for it. I want you to come back, I really do, but you can't." I didn't break eye contact with him and I knew he was waiting for me to say something, but I didn't. I just kept looking at him with my arms crossed over my chest. "Mel, please say something."

"Can you move?" I hated how my voice shook. "I want to go home."

He took a deep breath and then moved out of my way. As I passed him my shoulder briefly touched his arm and I could tell he had almost wanted to pull me back to him, just from the way his body had shifted slightly, but he didn't. I got into my car and drove away without looking back at him.

Once I got back to the Cullen house, I broke down and cried. I curled into a ball on my bed and just let it all out. I felt like I didn't belong anywhere. There was nowhere for me anymore, so I needed to just start fresh.

I reached into my nightstand and pulled the syringe out. I held my left arm out in front of me and held the syringe above a vein. My hand was shaking, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and brace myself for the pain. My phone rang, making me jump, but I ignored it and closed my eyes.

Whoever was calling was persistent. I ground my teeth together and put the syringe down and picked up my phone.

"What?" I choked out.

"You need to learn to answer your phone." It was Jared.

"What do you want?" I practically growled.

"Something's happened to Paul," Jared said.

"What?" I asked sharply, feeling my stomach drop.

"There was an accident," he said. "He was trying to get Sam to let you come back and he got mad. Sam hurt him trying to restrain him."

"Oh my God, is he okay?" I asked, furiously wiping at my face and getting off my bed.

"He's unconscious."

"Where is he?"

"We got him into the apartment," he said.

"I'll be there soon." I hung up on Jared and rushed out to my car. I needed to get there ASAP. He could _not_ be hurt. I wiped at my eyes again, annoyed that there were still tears in them.

I pulled into the apartment parking lot and practically ran to the apartment. I burst through the door and saw Jared and Sam standing in the living room, but I focused only on Paul. He was lying on the couch with his eyes closed. He didn't exactly look beat up, but I could see a few bruises on his arms and chest. I went straight for him and kneeled on the floor in front of the couch, grasping his hand. I could hear Sam and Jared talking, but I ignored them.

I knew where I belonged now.

Right here, with my hand in Paul's.


	45. Chapter 20: Therapy

**Chapter 20: Therapy**

_Jared_

Jared shoved his phone back in his pocket when he got off the phone with Mel and stood anxiously by Paul's couch, hoping he'd wake up before she arrived. He didn't want her to see him passed out on the couch looking bruised and battered like this. The bruises were already fading, but some of the worse ones were still dark. Jared glanced at Sam who was looking at Paul anxiously. Yeah, he had caused this.

No…actually it was Paul's fault for picking a fight with him in the first place. Paul should know better than to pick a fight with his alpha.

Jared's mind switched back to when he had called Mel. She had seemed so upset when he had told her that Paul was hurt. He could feel that she was getting closer to the apartment. He could feel her presence nearing him…and he could feel that she was agitated and upset.

Jared ran a hand through his hair, feeling restless. Knowing that she was upset was driving him crazy, but worse–knowing she wanted nothing to do with him was driving him crazy. He still felt bad about what had happened. She had warned him more than once and, of course, he had gone and ruined it. It wasn't fair to her when he fucked with her feelings like this…but he couldn't help it. When he was with her it was like his brain shut off and he had to do everything he could to not grab her and kiss her with everything he had in him.

Jared thought back to that night four months ago when he had kissed her and she had kissed him back. For what felt like the millionth time he wondered what would have happened if Paul hadn't come into the apartment. How far would they have gone? He remembered how it had felt to have her body pressed so tightly against his, how warm she felt in his hands, how her lips felt against his…

No. He mentally shook himself. He needed to stop thinking about her like that. But it was hard. He had even tried to date a girl, Kim, from the res, but he had ultimately felt too bad about it because she knew about the wolves and imprinting…and she knew that he hadn't imprinted on her. That had made Jared feel terrible; when Kim had asked him if he had imprinted on her or if she was just wasting her time. Of course, he came clean and told her everything about the double imprint. Surprisingly she hadn't dumped him right away, but then he had broken it off with her a few weeks later.

Jared forced himself to think of something other than relationship drama. Sam had said that it looked like Embry, Quil and Jake were going to start phasing soon. The Cullens were long gone and there hadn't been a trace of vampires as far as they knew, why was the pack growing? They only started the phase when vamps were around.

Jared's thoughts were interrupted by the apartment door bursting open and Mel rushing in. Her hair was a complete mess and even though she didn't look up at him, he knew she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, and Jared noticed a slight shake in her hands as she fell to her knees in front of Paul and grabbed his hand.

It took everything Jared had in him to keep his feet planted to the ground and not go over to her and try to comfort her. _Why _had he imprinted on her? Why her? What was so special about her?

Everything. She wasn't perfect, but no one was. Her green eyes, the way her hair contrasted so perfectly against her ivory skin, the way she felt in his arms, her strong backbone. If she could stand up to Sam, who was at least a foot taller than her and intimidating to even the members of his own pack, she must have one hell of a backbone.

Jared groaned silently. Staying here for the whole night would _not_ be fun. Mel was watching Paul's face intently. The first thing he'd see when his eyes opened would be her face.

What he'd give to be Paul right now…

After what seemed like hours, but really only must have only been ten minutes, Paul's eyes fluttered open. As he focused on Mel's face, Jared could practically see his eyes light up. Paul stroked Mel's cheek with his thumb, wiping a tear away and smiling at her. The moment was so tender between them that Jared almost had to look away.

"I'm so sorry." He heard her whisper.

Paul shook his head. "It isn't your fault."

"We have some business to attend to," Sam interrupted, clearing his throat.

Mel sighed heavily and turned to face him. She had built a wall up inside and was completely on guard. "What?"

"Are you really going to give me this much trouble?"

"Yes," she said, without missing a beat. A small chuckle escaped Jared and she shot him an angry look.

"Paul obviously wants you to move back here, but that's not possible."

"Why?"

"You know why, Mel," Sam said. "You tore the pack apart. They're brothers and right now, they don't like each other very much–they're civil, but they don't like each other. You caused that."

Jared saw the hurt flash through her eyes and saw her lip trembling. She bit down hard on it and then took a deep breath before saying, "I guess I'll be going then."

She made a move to stand up, but Paul's arm shot out and grabbed her wrist. Mel jumped a little at his touch and Jared's eyes widened in surprise.

"She isn't leaving," Paul said, staring intently at Sam.

Sam cocked an eyebrow. "Are you disobeying me?"

"Yes," Paul said. "She is not leaving again."

"You have no right–"

"She's my imprint," Paul interrupted, jaw set tight. He was trying to keep his temper under control. "Technically she doesn't have to follow your orders, you know that. You can see how badly she wants to be here."

"She isn't only your imprint," Sam said, turning to look at Jared. Then, all eyes were on him. He looked from Paul's angry eyes to Mel's pleading eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's her choice."

Then, everyone's eyes moved to her. She bit her lip, obviously uncomfortable and looked away. "I…I can't come back."

Paul exhaled deeply and fell back against the couch. "Why?"

"Like Sam said, I tore you and Jared apart. I can't come between you two again."

"That doesn't matter," Paul growled.

"Yes it does."

"I don't like you alone in Forks," Paul said through clenched teeth.

"Paul, don't be difficult," she said. "I want to come back, you know I do, but I can't, you know that too."

"Mel, you should come back," Jared said quietly.

"What?" Her head swiveled around and her eyes met his.

"You should come back here and be with him." Their eyes locked together and some sort of understanding passed between them. They'd figure it out somehow. They'd find a way to make it work without fucking everything up again. He understood what she needed and he had to be the one to give her the green light.

She dropped her gaze from him and said, "Well…I guess…I guess I'll come back."

Paul pulled her face down to his level and kissed her. Not being able to stand to see that, Jared went outside and leaned against the railing just outside the door, breathing in the crisp night air. He was glad he had made Mel's night better, but he felt like shit.

He heard the apartment door open and close and knew Mel had come out. "Jared?" He turned to face her. There was a light in her eyes that had been missing when he had seen her last night in Port Angeles. "Thank you."

"For?" He hated to hear the bitter edge to his voice but he couldn't help it.

"For convincing Sam," she explained. "That was very nice of you." By now she was standing right beside him with her back against the railing. "But you aren't happy." She pointed out.

"No, I'm not," he said. "How can I be?"

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

He hated himself for saying it, but the words escaped from his mouth before he could stop them. "You felt something for me in that kiss."

She was silent for a few moments. "I did."

"Why is it so hard for you to admit that?"

"Because it feels so wrong," she whispered.

"Do you know how hard it is?" Jared whispered. "Do you know how hard it is standing here beside you, knowing I can't have you? Knowing I can't be with you? Knowing that if I make one wrong move it'll fuck everything up again?"

"You'll find someone else," she said.

"I've tried."

"I hate this," she said quietly, looking out into the parking lot.

"This?" he repeated.

"Yes, this!" she said, motioning between the two of them. "I hate that I do this to you! I hate that you're so in tune with my feelings because it just makes me feel worse about everything! I hate that I can't be here for you when I know you need me and want more from me. Jared, I'm so sorry that I put you through this."

Jared put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed before letting go of her. "I don't blame you, Mel, it isn't your fault. You can't help how you feel, just like I can't help it either."

"Thank you for understanding, Jared," she said quietly. "I better get back in there."

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek as if she was just kissing a family member goodnight and went back into the apartment.

Jared exhaled deeply, trying to ignore how warm his cheek felt where she'd kissed it and went back home. He fell into his bed, wishing his mind would rest so he could get to sleep, but more than that, he wished that Mel was there with him, lying in his arms fast asleep.


	46. Chapter 21: Surprise!

**Chapter 21: Surprise!**

_Mel_

"You're coming back." Paul smiled at me.

I returned his smile. "I know."

Sam had left just after I had come back into the apartment from talking to Jared. I could tell that Sam wasn't exactly pleased with our decision, but he didn't say any more about the issue. My mind replayed my conversation with Jared. I felt horribly about it, yet I also felt better, now that we had both talked openly about it for one of the first times. It was such a difficult situation to be in–it was hard to work around both their feelings for me.

"Are you staying here tonight?" Paul asked, drawing my attention back to him.

"No," I said. His face fell immediately, so I explained. "I still have to bring my stuff and I'm not up for doing it all tonight."

He exhaled deeply. "I've missed waking up next to you."

"So have I," I said, entwining my fingers with his. "But I should probably go."

"See you tomorrow?"

"I'll bring all my things back," I promised.

"God, I love you," he whispered and kissed me.

Oh wow.

It had been far too long since we had kissed. He grasped my face in his hands and pulled me closer to him. I held on tightly to him, never wanting to let go. When we broke apart, we were both breathing heavily.

"Can I come with you?"

"Then you'd know where my secret lair is!" I scoffed.

"I know where you've been staying," he said, smile hinting at his lips.

"Then why did you ask me the other night in Port Angeles?" I teased.

"I was just testing you," he retorted in the same teasing tone. "Please can I come with you tonight? I don't know if I can stand not waking up to you again. I'll even drive."

I grinned at him. "Okay, let's go."

He drove the familiar drive into Forks, holding my hand as he drove. It felt so good to be with him again. It felt like we were finally back on the right track again.

He pulled into the Cullens' driveway and turned to me, looking smug. "Told you I knew where you were."

"So then why didn't you come visit me?" I blurted. I immediately regretted it after I said it and slapped a hand to my mouth.

His face darkened. "Sam."

I knew I _needed_ to change the subject, so I asked, "Are you going to be okay staying here?"

"They're not here; they've been gone for a while. Their smell isn't as strong anymore. You still smell like them a bit, but not too bad. I'll be fine." We got out of my car and walked hand-in-hand into the house. "So, where's your room?"

"I'll show you," I said, pulling him upstairs. When we got to my room and I opened the door I heard his sharp intake of breath. I turned to look at him, question in my eyes.

"You had this giant ass be to yourself and you didn't let me come over?" he asked. He was obviously joking but I found it hard to say anything about it.

I couldn't meet his eyes. I looked away from him and said, "I thought you hated me, remember?"

He gripped my wrists and turned me back towards him. "I will _never_ hate you."

I smiled at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Sam got you pretty badly, didn't he?" My eyes found a bruise on his chest that still hadn't completely faded.

"Yeah, but I'm fine. Nothing too terrible. No broken bones," he shrugged.

"I was worried about you," I said quietly.

His hold tightened slightly on my wrists. "You don't need to worry about me, babe, when you were living here alone…" He trailed off and sniffed deeply through his nose, then stiffened.

"What? What is it?"

"I smell a vampire."

My stomach dropped. "The Cullens?"

I didn't wait for an answer; I pushed past him and tore down the stairs. My heart was racing at the prospect of seeing them. I ran to the front door and flung it open. I tried not to let it disappoint me too much when there were no cars to be seen. I sighed and turned around, but bumped into something hard as a rock. In an instant there was a hand covering my mouth and I was staring into ruby red eyes. My mother took her hand away from my face, looking annoyed.

"What are you and your mutt doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" I demanded. "I have a right to be here. You don't."

She ignored me. "I see you're still human." I didn't say anything to her. "I bet you've considered it a bunch of times, haven't you?" Again, I didn't say anything. She sniffed and crinkled her nose. "You smell like a wet dog."

At that moment, _my_ wet dog approached us. I heard a low growl deep in his chest. "Get away from her."

I was about to open my mouth to explain, but my mom interrupted. "Do not expect me to listen to a dog when she is _my _daughter." That made Paul freeze in his tracks and my mom turned back to me. "Consider it."

I nodded, swallowing thickly.

"Consider _what?_" Paul growled.

"Nothing," I said at the same time that my mom said, "I gave her a syringe full of my venom in case she ever wanted a _different_ lifestyle."

"Mel? Is that true?" Paul asked. I couldn't look at him and I couldn't answer him.

"Bye Mel," my mom said, kissing me on the cheek and darting out of the house.

I didn't look up as Paul came over to me. "Mel?" I still didn't look up at him and so he grasped my wrists. "Mel, look at me, please." I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to look up at him. I was afraid to see the expression on his face. "Do you still have the syringe?" I nodded, still not looking at him. "I think you should do it."

At that point I snapped my head up to finally meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I think you should inject yourself with her venom," he said as if we were just discussing the weather.

Oddly enough, rejection stabbed at me. I felt hurt, in a way. He was the reason that I was afraid to inject myself with it, it was because of him that I hadn't done it–I hadn't wanted to lose him. But now, he wanted me to do it? Was it so that he had a concrete reason to get rid of me? Was it so I wouldn't cause problems with the pack anymore?

Would it break the imprints?

I forced myself to ask the only question that seemed important. "Why?"

"I can see that you want it," he said simply.

"I'd rather be with you."

"It wouldn't change anything between us."

"How can you say that?"

"You're my imprint," he said. "That's stronger than anything else. And you know that as long as we're phasing we don't age."

"You'd have to phase for the rest of your life," I pointed out. "Would you really want that?"

He shrugged and began to lead me up the stairs. "I can deal with that."

"I can't do that to you."

"Why not?"

"It isn't fair to you." By now we were back in my bedroom and Paul sat with me on the bed.

"I know how you think it'll be, but it won't be like that."

"I'll be your enemy," I said. "The guys will hate me; they'll think I'm a monster. I _will_ be a monster."

"Who cares what they think?" he asked gently.

"I do," I insisted. "And you won't be able to stand it if they're constantly thinking about me like that. I've done enough damage to the pack as it is."

"Where is it?" he asked. My eyes instinctively flicked to the nightstand. Of course, he noticed and reached into the drawer and cradled it in his hands as if it were fragile. Quietly, he said, "I would do it for you."

I shook my head. "There are no vampires here to help me."

"Your mom is."

I snorted. "Do you really think I'd want her help? The Cullens would be my best bet, and they aren't here."

"I don't want you to not do this just because of me," he said. "I don't want to be your deciding factor." I didn't say anything. If I lost him again, after _just_ getting him back it would kill me. I didn't want to turn into something that he would hate. Well, deep down, I _did_ want it, but I couldn't do it. There were too many factors stopping me. "See? It's clear as day on your face that you want it, Mel."

"Paul, why do you want me to do this so bad?" I whispered.

He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "Firstly, I can tell you want it."

"It isn't just about me," I said, cutting him off.

"It's your life."

"And you're the best part of my life!" I argued. "If I lost you–again–it would kill me. When I found out you were hurt…"

He pulled me close to him. "It's okay, I'm fine now, you don't have to worry about me."

"What's your second reason?" I asked quietly.

"Don't get mad, okay?" he said. I looked up at him, question in my eyes, so he continued. "You know that Forks isn't safe for you. You need to be able to protect yourself. If you went up against a vampire…we both know that you wouldn't walk away from it, Mel. I can't lose you because of a vamp. That almost happened once before, and you've come close to that again with your mom."

I was quiet. I could see where he was coming from, but that didn't convince me any further.

"Mel, I will stab you with this thing right now."

I stiffened in his arms. "You wouldn't."

"You obviously don't know me very well."

"Paul, if you turned me against my will, I would never speak to you again. I probably wouldn't even be able to look at you," I said quietly.

I could tell that hurt him. He put the syringe back in the drawer and gently pushed me back against the bed.

"You should know though," he began. "It's your choice. No matter what you choose, I'll be here for you, and I'll always love you."

And with that, as if something had snapped within us, we made love to each other. I didn't even care that I had school the next day–in fact that was the very last thing on my mind; I probably wouldn't have gone anyway.

When I woke up, I felt better than I had in months. I actually felt like I had gotten a good night's sleep. I smiled lazily at Paul. "What time is it?"

"Ten-thirty."

I giggled. "Oops."

I leaned against his shoulder and he stroked my hair. It felt good laying here with him, after _months_ of being apart.

"Hey," he said. "When's your birthday? We've never celebrated, and in the year or so we've known each other it's never come up."

I felt my face heat. I had been hoping to avoid this. "It was in December."

"You celebrated your birthday alone? And Christmas?"

"Well…they're the same day." He was quiet for a minute, then burst out laughing. "Did I miss something?"

"Oh no, I'm just imagining the look on your face when people try to give you birthday and Christmas gifts as one present."

"Oh my God, I _hate _when people do that!" I said.

"I've missed you so much," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I missed you too," I said, snuggling close to him. Then, a thought formed in my head that made me stiffen. "Paul…this may sound like a stupid question, but can you guys have…babies?"

He was quiet for a moment before quietly saying, "Yes."

"You mean to tell me I could be…pregnant?" I whispered. Why did it seem so hard to get the words out of my mouth? I felt him stiffen and that was all the answer I needed. I jumped out of bed, wrapping the blanket around myself and started pacing. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."

"Mel, it's okay, calm down, you're freaking me out," Paul said.

"I could be pregnant!" I yelled. "No, I can't be pregnant, I'm only eighteen!"

"Would it be so bad?" he asked quietly.

My eyes widened at him. "Are you kidding me? Yes it would be bad! I'm not ready to be a mother!"

He pulled me back into the bed with him. "It wouldn't be that bad, Mel."

"Says you!"

"We don't know for sure yet," he said. "When we find out, we'll figure it out. I promise."

I looked up at him, he looked so sincere and worried about me, it almost made me start crying right there.

He was right. We'd figure everything out and somehow make it work.


	47. Chapter 22: Spying

**Chapter 22: Spying**

I didn't want to move back to La push. The Cullen house was so much closer to school and it had _a lot_ more space than Paul's apartment. I had been through this numerous times in the past week with Paul.

"I've missed you," he pouted. "And it's not safe here."

"I've missed you too," I said. "And I know it isn't, but now that you've been here your smell would repel any vampire, and we know my mom doesn't necessarily want to hurt me. And it's so much more convenient living here–at least until school finishes."

"Fine. Then I'm staying here with you."

I grinned at him. "I'm completely fine with that."

He pecked me on the cheek and I slipped into the bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror, imagining how I would look with ruby red eyes.

Unfortunately, I could picture it all too easily.

I turned to the side and imagined how I would look with a giant pregnant belly. I was still nervous about whether or not I was pregnant. I had refused to buy a pregnancy test, convincing myself that I would wait until my next period was due before taking that step. I felt like doing that was my very last resort. I sighed quietly and washed my face, trying to get my mind off vampires and babies. Thankfully it was the weekend and I wasn't scheduled to work. I hadn't been working many hours recently, and it worried me, but I tried not to let it bother me too much–I had enough to worry about as it was.

As I dried off my face I looked in the mirror, seeing my worried eyes staring back at me. I wondered if I would ever see red eyes staring back at me when I wasn't dreaming.

I knew Paul had said many times that even if I was turned into a vampire that he would still love me, but I couldn't believe him. He and the guys had said so many things against vampires it was unreal. He and the guys hated vampires, why would any of them change that opinion just because of me?

He had told me that the imprint wouldn't break if I was turned, but how could he be sure? As far as we knew, no wolf had ever imprinted on a vampire before. How could he be so certain that our imprint wouldn't break if I was turned?

But I couldn't help but be tempted by it. It sounded so good to have that. I would never age, I would be virtually indestructible, I'd have super strength and speed, and I'd have heightened senses. Who wouldn't want that?

I mentally shook myself and left the bathroom and went back into my bedroom.

I smiled at Paul, who was looking more relaxed than he'd ever admit. "Won't Sam get mad that you aren't working?"

He shook his head. "Nah, Embry phased."

"Really? How's he taking it?"

"Freaking out," Paul said with a laugh. "But that's how it normally is."

"So you were freaking out when you first phased?"

"Hell yes," he said. "Imaging one morning waking up in an unfamiliar house with an awful headache and Sam Uley is leaning over you telling you that you turned into a giant wolf the night before."

I giggled. "Well, you're _my_ giant wolf."

He pushed some hair away from my face. "You're really worried, aren't you?"

"About what?"

"About being pregnant." I looked up at him and nodded. "Mel it'll be okay." I looked away from him. "What if we…what if we turned you right now?"

I exhaled deeply. "We've been through this. I want to get everything figured out. And besides, as I said before, there aren't any vampires here who I'd actually trust to help me through it."

"I know what you're really worried about."

"Paul, I am not only worried about you hating me." At least not that much. "I just need to know if I'm pregnant before I do anything drastic."

We were both quiet. I wondered what Paul was thinking. Was he wondering what our lives would be like if I actually was turned?

"Didn't you promise Cullen that you'd keep an eye on Bella?" he asked.

I felt my face heat. I had been seriously lacking at watching over Bella. "Yeah, Alice and Edward both did."

He chuckled. "Have you been?"

"Not really, but now is a fine time to start."

He groaned. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," I said, pushing myself off the bed. I pulled a sweater out of the closet and put it on since it was cold out.

He followed me out of the bedroom. "Where exactly are we going?"

I hesitated. It was noon. Where would she be on a Saturday afternoon?

"Jacob's," I said. "I've seen her car there a few times when I've driven past the Black house."

Paul wanted to drive for whatever reason. When I went to grab my keys he stopped me and jingled his in front of my face. I rolled my eyes at him and followed him out into the garage. I got in his car and waited for him to start driving. Once we had driven into La Push and were parked in front of Jacob's house–right behind Bella's truck–I stopped him from getting out of the car.

"What's our reason for being here? We can't just barge in unannounced without a reason."

"I'm going to ask Jake to check something on my car. I'll pretend something's wrong with it, while I'm gone, you talk to Bella," he said.

"So that's why you wanted to drive."

"Always two steps ahead."

I rolled my eyes and we got out of the car. We went to the front door of the Black house and knocked. We were used to waiting a while for Billy to open the door, since it took him more time in his wheelchair, so we weren't surprised when three minutes after we knocked Billy opened the door.

He smiled widely when he saw us. "What brings you two here? I'm glad to see it worked out between you."

"Thanks Billy," I said with a grin. "It means a lot."

"Would you like to come in?" he asked.

"No," Paul said. "We're actually looking for Jake. Is he home?"

"He's around back with Bella Swan in the garage, you know her right?"

We both nodded and thanked Billy and went around to the garage. The garage door was closed, but even from out here I could hear Bella and Jake's laughter.

Bella was laughing? My stomach tightened in an odd way. He really was good for her. I had barely seen her crack a smile recently. We knocked on the door and the laughter stopped immediately. I glanced at Paul but he just shrugged and waited.

Jacob came to the door and I smiled at him. In the few weeks since I had last seen him he had changed. He had grown taller, and his muscles looked more defined. It reminded me of just before Paul had started phasing. He stiffened at the sight of Paul but seemed to relax slightly when he saw me.

"Paul," he said curtly, then turned and smiled at me. "Hey Mel."

"Hey Jake," I said with a grin.

"Jake, my car has been acting up recently; think you could take a look at it? I trust your word more than anything, and I know if I take it to Dowling he'll charge me a fortune just to look at it," Paul said.

Regardless of how Jake felt about the pack, the prospect of tinkering with a car was enough to grab his attention.

"Uh, yeah sure, Bella, you know Mel, right?" Jake asked, turning back to Bella, who had been watching the scene with wide, cautious eyes. Well–she was more watching Paul than anything. I idly wondered what Jake had said to her about the guys.

She smiled reassuringly at Jacob and nodded. As Paul and Jake left the garage I went over to Bella and sat beside her. I noticed two shiny motorcycles–one black, one red–propped up against the wall of the garage. Was Jake riding motorcycles now? I didn't think Billy would like that very much.

"How are you?" I asked.

"I'm okay," she said quietly. She knew that I wasn't just talking about how she was today. She knew there was deeper meaning to what I was asking.

I chewed on my lip, carefully thinking about what to say next. "How is it, hanging out with Jake?"

"Really good," she said enthusiastically. "He's really helping me a lot."

"I can tell. I heard you laughing before we came in." She turned to look at me, looking completely embarrassed, so I barrelled on. "It was nice to hear that. It was nice to hear some life back in you."

"How bad was I?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Not that bad," I said without missing a beat. She gave me a _look_, so I admitted, "You were pretty bad. You wouldn't interact with anybody."

She nodded and right after that, Paul and Jake came in. I could see slight annoyance etched clearly on Jake's face and Paul looked amused and pleased with himself. I fought back a laugh and stood up.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," I said.

"Yeah, sure," she said, and then seemed to remember something. "Oh, Mel, I was wondering if maybe on Friday you wanted to go see a movie? Mike's been harassing me about it. I invited Jake. Paul, you're welcome to come too. Jake said Quil might come."

I glanced back at Paul who shrugged at me and still had an amused smile on his face.

"Sure, that'd be great," I said. "Just let me know the details when you know them, okay?"

"I will," she grinned.

"Bye guys, see you Friday, Jake."

"Bye Mel," he said. "Bye Paul."

We left Jacob's garage and got back into Paul's car.

"So, when do you think he's going to phase?"

"Soon," Paul said. "The signs are all there. It'll be soon."

"I can tell," I said. "The way he looked today reminded me of how you looked that night before you phased."

He chuckled. "I remember that like it was yesterday. It was the single most terrifying day of my life. Anyway, wanna get something to eat?"

I grasped his hand. "I'd love that."


	48. Chapter 23: Phased

**Chapter 23: Phased**

On Wednesday at school, Mike came up to me letting me know that he, Angela and Ben were coming to the movies with us as well.

"You're bringing Paul?" he asked.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yes. Bella invited him on Saturday."

He looked like he wanted to say more about it, but he didn't. Even if he had wanted to say something, Bella approached us before he could and addressed me.

"Quil can't come, he's grounded," she said and then bit her lip. It was obvious she was holding something back from us.

"What is it?"

"Well…" she glanced at Mike who surprisingly got the message and excused himself. "I'm just…I'm worried."

"About what?" I asked. I had a feeling I knew what was coming, but I kept my face neutral.

"Well, it's just that Jake is kind of…uncomfortable with Paul."

I nodded. "I know; I was a bit worried about that too. I'll talk to Paul about it."

"Thank you, Mel," she said in relief.

As it turned out, I didn't have to worry about the awkwardness between Jake and Paul. On Friday morning I woke up feeling absolutely horrendous. My head was throbbing and I felt nauseous. I didn't think I would actually throw up since I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon, but I knew that if I did eat anything it'd come right back up. I told Paul he should still go to the movie without me, but he just smirked and said that he didn't think Jake would appreciate that very much. I called Bella and cancelled, telling her I was sorry.

I lay in bed, not wanting to move.

"You okay?" Paul asked, feeling my forehead. "Jeez, you feel hotter than me."

"I'm alright."

"I have to go," he said gently. "Embry's still in school so he can't run during the day. Will you be okay while I'm gone?" I nodded and he caressed my cheek. "You look so pale."

I smiled wryly. "What else is new?"

He rolled his eyes, smile hinting at his lips, but I could see anxiety and worry deep within his eyes. "Glad to see you're feeling well enough to keep your sense of humour. I'll see you later."

"Bye," I whispered. I was shivering so I pulled a blanket over top of me, but then I got way too hot and flung it off myself. A strong wave of nausea washed over me and I ran for the bathroom and dry heaved into the toilet. I lay down on the floor, pressing my cheek against the cool tile, feeling too weak to move.

I figured I had fallen asleep on the floor at some point because when I woke up my neck was stiff and I was in bed with Paul. I didn't even know what time it was. I figured he had carried me back to bed, but that wasn't what was bothering me. I was boiling and sweating insanely.

"Can you move?" I groaned. "I think I'm going to overheat."

"Mel, you're ice cold."

"Please," I gasped.

"Are you hungry?" he asked after he had shifted away from me.

"Not at all," I said miserably, feeling even sicker at the mere mention of food. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No, I ate at Em's; she sent some muffins with me."

"Always taking care of you," I teased. "Can I sleep?"

He chuckled. "Of course, you don't need my permission."

I smiled weakly at him, then rolled over and went back to sleep. When I woke up it was nighttime and I was shivering. Paul was fast asleep beside me and I curled into the curve of his body. I immediately felt better and warmer.

I couldn't remember when I had fallen back asleep, but when I woke up it was morning and the first thing I noticed was the sun was streaming through the window. Sunlight? In Forks? In the middle of winter? That was rare.

The second thing that I noticed was that I felt fine. I didn't feel nauseous or freakishly cold or hot. I was fine.

"Feeling better?" Paul asked.

"Much better," I said.

"Hungry?" My stomach growling was all the answer he needed. "I'll go grab you a muffin."

"But I don't want you to move."

He sighed dramatically. "I know how you feel."

Then, he jumped out of bed and stuck his tongue out at me as he left the bedroom. Him leaving the bed was so sudden that it was like a burst of cold shot through me. I gasped and grabbed at the blankets, pulling them up to my nose. Paul re-entered the bedroom a few moments later with two muffins. He sat on the bed and handed one to me. Even though I hadn't eaten in a day I still couldn't eat a whole one. I tossed the remaining half of my muffin to Paul and he caught it.

With his mouth.

"So, guess what happened last night," he said when he was done eating.

"What?"

"Jake phased."

"Seriously?" I asked. He nodded. "Let's go see him."

We got out of bed and I got dressed and brushed my teeth. My mouth felt gross even after eating Em's delicious muffin. Paul drove us to the Black house where Jared, Embry and Billy were inside crowded around a stunned looking Jacob. Billy had an expression on his face that _almost_ looked smug–he had expected this to happen. We all had.

Jake stared at me. I guessed I was the least intimidating of the bunch. "It's all true?" I nodded. "No. It can't be, they're just scary stories."

"Still in denial, Jake?" Paul teased. "I could go outside and phase in front of you if you piss me off enough."

"Don't be an ass," I said to Paul at Jake's sickly look.

"And you're Paul's imprint?" he asked.

I nodded. He still looked a little sick and he held his head in his hands. "Jake it's okay; it'll just take some getting used to." At that point Sam barged through the front door and marched straight for me. "What crawled up your ass?"

He roughly grabbed my face and looked at my eyes.

"Hey!" Paul snapped.

"Are you wearing contacts?" Sam demanded, ignoring Paul.

"What? No!"

"Why are people phasing?"

"I am not a vampire!" I yelled.

"The change is set off by vampires. There must be a vampire in town and you smell like one." I glanced at Paul to see that he looked absolutely thunderous and looked as though he was about to jump in at any minute and take Sam's hands off of me. I couldn't see Jared but I was sure he looked the same way Paul did.

"I don't know why they're phasing!" I yelled.

"Why do you smell like a vampire?"

"I'm living in the Cullens' old house!"

"Are there any vampires in town that you know of?" he demanded.

"No." I knew I was lying but I wasn't about to go into the drama surrounding my mom with Sam. And besides, I hadn't seen her in a while, so I couldn't be sure as to whether she was here or not. Growls were rumbling deep in Sam's chest but he thankfully hadn't start shaking.

"Get your hands off of her," Paul said. His voice was quiet, but I could hear the menace and the anger in it. He was keeping a good hold on his temper and an odd sense of pride welled up inside of me. He was getting so much better at staying in control.

Sam glared at me and said, "You had better not be lying to me."

"I'm not," I snapped, pulling my face away from his hands. I immediately distanced myself from Sam and sat beside Paul, who was sitting beside Billy. Billy seemed pleased that Jake had phased.

"Three wolves weren't enough to keep the town safe," he said. "After Embry phased I had a feeling Jake would too."

"Do you think Quil will phase too?" I asked.

Billy got a weird, mysterious look on his face and said, "Yes, I think he will." I sent Billy a question mark look, but he was already wheeling away from us.

Emily had come over and brought some pancakes. Paul was balancing a plate on his knees and eating a stack of them.

"Want one?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No thanks, I'm fine."

He gave me a disapproving look, so I turned away from him to see Jared coming towards us.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked me as he reached us.

"Nope."

"Please?" he begged. I ignored him and looked away. "Come on, Mel, please."

"Why?" I demanded looking back at him. The entire house had gone silent. No one was talking, and everyone was trying not to stare at us. They were trying to be polite and not watch the situation, but I knew everyone could hear every single thing we were saying. I glanced up at Paul, who was glaring at Jared but not saying anything. I pushed myself off the couch and said, "Fine."

I stomped outside with Jared following close behind. We both stood on the porch, not really looking at each other. There were a few moments where neither of us said anything.

"Can we walk?" he finally asked.

"No," I said, crossing my arms tightly across my chest and looking pointedly at the rain falling. I knew if we went for a walk it'd be easier for him to try something on me and I wasn't about to let that happen–again. He exhaled deeply, but didn't say anything. "Why did you drag me out here if you weren't going to talk?"

"Mel, I'm so sorry."

"I've heard that before."

"I guess I deserve that," he said, leaning against the porch railing and looking out at the road.

"You do," I said. "For four months I thought Paul hated me because you made me kiss you."

"Hey, you agreed to kiss me!" he said defensively.

"It was your idea, and I knew you wouldn't have stopped no matter what I said."

"What would have happened if Paul hadn't come in?" he asked.

I stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about."

"_Nothing_ would have happened, Jared!" I said, exasperated. "It was just a kiss!" He was quiet and wouldn't meet my eyes. "Jared I don't know what to do anymore. I've given you so many chances…"

"You can pick me," he said.

I shook my head. "Not going to happen. Things finally seem to be going right for us–and by us I mean all three of us–and you and I have been mostly civil with each other. It's getting better now, can't you feel it?"

He sighed. "I hate to admit it, but yeah I can."

"Jared, I want to be your friend," I said quietly.

"I know you do, Mel," he said. "But the way I feel about you is stronger than that. You know that."

"I do know that," I whispered. "And I'm so sorry I can't…I don't feel the same way."

He turned to me and grasped my hands. "I want you to know something. I will always be here for you. If he ever does anything to hurt you, I'll kill him. If you ever need anything, I promise I'll be here."

"I don't deserve that," I said.

"That doesn't matter to me."

"Thank you," I whispered.

He let go of my hands and went back into the Black house. I sat down on the steps of the porch and slumped against the railing leading down the steps, watching the rain pour.


	49. Chapter 24: Hurt

**I decided to mix elements of both the movie and the book in this part of the story as well as adding my own elements to it. **

**Chapter 24: Hurt**

I don't know how long after it was that Paul came outside and sat beside me. He didn't say anything for a while, just wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him.

"What did he say to you?" he finally asked.

"I'm sure you already know," I said quietly.

"Yeah, I could hear him." His voice was tight and he ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "He upset you."

"Yeah, he did," I said.

"I should rip his head off," he said through clenched teeth.

"Don't."

He opened his mouth to say something but then seemed to decide against it. He just held onto me. I really didn't know why I was so upset. I felt like even though things seemed like they were getting better with this whole double imprint situation that things would never be perfect between Jared and I. There would _always_ be some underlying tension with all of us.

"Come on, let's go home," he said, pulling me up and to the car. I felt like we should've gone back inside to say goodbye to everyone, but I didn't know if I'd be able to stand to go back inside after it was likely that almost everyone in the house had heard the conversation between Jared and I.

As Paul drove through the streets of La Push and back into Forks I felt the tension ease away from me. I should've been more comfortable in La Push, knowing that I would be completely protected there, but I wasn't. Being in La Push made me feel antsy and uncomfortable now. It was such a change from what it had been previously.

What had changed?

Paul navigated up the Cullens' massive driveway and into the garage. I made a move to get out, but he stopped me.

"Sam wanted me to talk to you about something," he said. My stomach lurched at Paul's tone. He sounded super serious–it was the tone he took when he was breaking some sort of bad news to me or had to talk about something serious regarding the pack. Would he ask me to stay away from him again? What had I done this time?

"O-okay," I stammered.

"It's not you," he assured me. I felt my shoulders slump in relief and I blew all the air out of my lungs. "The thing is…Sam wants Jacob to stay away from Bella." My eyes widened at him and he continued. "It's for her safety…and the pack's. Sam isn't sure how trustworthy Bella is. It's like when I first changed and had to stay away from you, but it was different for you because you were my imprint."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"He knows you're her friend," he explained. "She'll probably ask you about him. If she does, just tell her he's sick."

I chewed on my lip. "Paul, I don't know. I mean, she's been through a lot…"

"I know she has, but you know why this is important. I'm sorry you have to be dragged into this drama and I know you don't really want to lie to her, but it's important."

"I know it is," I said. "But you know she'll probably find out sooner or later."

"Hopefully that doesn't happen," he muttered.

"Why is it such a big deal?"

"It's because of her association with the Cullens," he said, jaw tight. "He doesn't know if she's still in contact with them, and if she is she may tell them secrets about us."

"What kind of secrets?" I asked. "Paul, you know they probably already know everything about you guys."

He stiffened and cocked an eyebrow at me. "Did you tell them?"

Now it was my turn to cock an eyebrow at him. "No, I didn't tell them! What the hell kind of secrets would I tell them? What I mean is; knowing them, back when Carlisle made the treaty, they probably researched everything about you guys so they knew what they were dealing with." Paul was quiet as he mulled this over and I quietly said, "They aren't a threat to the pack. They weren't a threat when they were here, and they aren't a threat now that they're gone."

"Come on," he said stiffly. "Let's go inside."

I glowered at his back as he walked into the house ahead of me. We could both be so stubborn sometimes. For the rest of the day we were both cautious around each other. Both of us knew we were annoyed with each other so we just sort-of gave each other space.

Throughout the week, Bella asked me numerous times about Jacob at school. She'd march up to me and ask me if I knew anything about where he was. I told her that he had a really bad case of mono–that always seemed to be the excuse the guys used, and in all honesty it was a pretty weak excuse at that.

One day, Jake had asked me to go over to his house to help him with his homework since he had fallen behind. I hadn't been there long, but the phone had rung numerous times while I had been there and Jake had made no move to answer it.

On the fourth time it started ringing, I couldn't take it anymore. "Aren't you going to answer that?"

He shook his head. "No…I…I know who it is."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's Bella, isn't it?" His look was all the answer I needed. I stood up and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Mel?" she asked with disappointment and confusion clear in her voice.

"Hey Bella," I said. "What's up?"

"Um…is Jacob there by any chance?"

"He is, but he's really isn't feeling good. I just swung by to bring him some soup," I said, hating myself for it.

"Could I talk to him?"

"He's actually asleep," I said. "I let myself in. I could leave a message from you for when he wakes up if you'd like."

"No…that's fine, thanks though," she said.

"Sorry Bella, bye."

"Bye Mel."

I hung up the phone and glowered at Jacob as I sat down beside him again. "You can't keep doing this to her."

"I don't have a choice. Sam isn't letting me see her."

"She won't tell them about you guys," I said. "She hasn't had any contact with them since they left. Neither have I."

"I had assumed that, but try convincing Sam."

"He's so hard-headed."

"Tell me about it," he said, rolling his eyes.

"But seriously, Jake, you should go talk to her. It's only a matter of time before she comes here to talk to you."

He blew all the air out of his lungs. "I know she will. But I can't disobey him, you know that. He basically forbade me from seeing her."

I pursed my lips. "Yeah, I get it; you have to follow his orders. But she's not just going to take this lying down."

"I know she won't," he said. "But she isn't the only person I have to stay away from."

I smirked. "Let me guess–Quil."

He nodded. "Yeah, Quil."

"Your dad thinks he'll phase."

"Sam hopes he won't–that'll just mean more vampires."

"_More_ vampires?" I repeated.

"Didn't Paul tell you?" he asked. I shook my head. "We found a vamp in the forest–he looked like he was going to attack Bella."

My stomach dropped. "Not one of the Cullens, right?"

"No," he said. "Jeez, what is it with you guys and them?"

"Sorry," I muttered. "I was friends with them."

"Yeah, I know. You've got Paul living at their old house with you."

"His choice, not mine."

"What's going on between you two and Jared?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow at him and he said, "Sorry, I hear things, and in the few times I've gone patrolling I've noticed that Jared and Paul barely run at the same time. Sam tries to separate them."

"They're both imprinted on me," I said. "But I'm only dating Paul, but things have…happened with Jared–things that I didn't mean to happen. It's all very…complicated."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I figured it would be."

"Anyway, let's get back to this," I muttered.

It didn't take us long to finish and I left to go back home. Paul wasn't back yet, so I flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV. I don't remember falling asleep, but I do remember waking up and hearing Paul moving around the kitchen. I stretched my stiff arms above my head and jumped when I felt a hand close around my wrists. Paul pulled me off the couch and into his arms, before plopping both of us back onto the couch. I snuggled as close to him as I could get and he stroked my hair.

"How was Jake today?" he asked.

"Fine," I said with a shrug. "He was pretty far behind in his homework."

"He'll probably end up dropping out of school," he said. "He should be our alpha."

"What?"

"His great-grandfather, Ephraim, was the alpha during their generation. He was the one who made the treaty with the Cullens. By Jake's bloodline, he should be alpha of our pack, but he doesn't want it. He doesn't want to be alpha, for whatever reason."

"What about you?" I asked. "Who did you get the gene from? Your dad?"

He stiffened slightly. "No, not my dad. Sam and I are distant relatives. My great-grandma was Sam's great-grandma's sister-in-law. That's where I got the gene from."

"What about your parents?" I asked. "Are they…present?" Guilt seeped into me. He and I had never talked about his parents–I had never thought to even bring it up.

He took a deep breath. "My mom's a drunk and my dad barely visits. They divorced when I was a kid and I had been living with him for a while, but then he wanted to leave Washington. My mom wouldn't let him take me and she somehow got sober enough to prove to a judge that she could take care of me. We fought a lot and finally when I turned sixteen I couldn't take it anymore and I moved out. We don't talk much, but I'll go check on her sometimes."

"Do you talk to you dad?"

"Sometimes. Not often. He'll swing by around major holidays and maybe my birthday, but that's about it."

His words were clipped and I could tell he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so I found a movie we could watch and I eventually fell asleep on the couch against his shoulder.

A week or so later I knew right away when I woke up that it'd be a bad day. First, I woke up with killer cramps and I knew my period had come. I was relieved that I wasn't pregnant for about a second before I was annoyed and rooting through the medicine cabinet for some Midol for the cramps. Paul was already gone but had told me to meet him at Em's later on because she needed my help with something. I took a quick shower and made myself something for breakfast. Then, I dried my hair and put some makeup on before leaving for Em's.

Despite having a pretty sour wake up, I was in high spirits. I was trying to ignore the nagging feeling in my gut that today would be a bad day and forced myself to think happy thoughts. I pulled up to Emily's house and knocked on the door.

"Mel! It feels like it's been ages since you came by," she said, opening the door. "Come in."

"Paul said you needed my help today?" I asked going inside.

"Yeah, since the pack has grown I can barely keep up with cooking and cleaning. Could you help me out?"

"Yeah of course!" I said. "Just tell me what you need me to do."

We spent the entire day cleaning the house and then I helped her make some muffins and hotdogs and burgers for the guys for when they got back. We were sitting down at the table, taking a break, when I heard the loud rumble of Bella's truck. Emily and I shared a nervous look and sprang to the living room window to see what was happening.

Sure enough, Bella and Jacob were getting out of Bella's truck. Jacob turned as if he was going to bring her inside, but then he stiffened and turned back around. Bella cowered into his side, nervously looking at the guys who were emerging from the forest near Emily's house. I didn't think any of them had noticed her yet because none of them looked angry.

Then, as if on cue, each of their faces turned furious at the same time. My stomach tightened and I glanced nervously at Em. Emily's window was open so we could hear everything they were saying.

"What have you done, Jacob?" Sam demanded.

Paul didn't wait for Jake to answer. He pushed past Sam and headed straight for Jacob. "Why can't you just follow the rules, Jacob? What the hell are you thinking? Is she more important than everything–than the whole tribe? Than the people getting killed?"

"She can help," Jacob said quietly.

At this point Paul's arms were shaking and I went straight for the front door and flung it open, but Emily grasped my arm, stopping me from running to them.

"Help!" he yelled. "Oh, that's likely! I'm sure the leech-lover is just dying to help us out!"

_Don't do this Paul, please stay in control,_ I silently pleaded.

"Paul, that's enough," Sam said sternly.

Bella moved around Jacob's arm to stand in front of him, as if to defend him. "What's your issue?!" she demanded.

"What's my issue?" he repeated, full body shaking now. "My issue is that now that you know about us you can go and report back to your little leeches that you love so much."

Bella flinched and then did something I never would have expected her to do. She raised her hand and slapped Paul right across the face. Growls started erupting from him and he started shaking more. That was when I couldn't take it anymore. I ran to him, knowing that I _really_ shouldn't have, but I couldn't just let him attack Bella.

"Mel! Get back!" Jared shouted.

I wasn't listening. I put my hands on Paul's shoulders and looked him square in the eyes. "Stop it. Calm down. Take deep breaths. You can control it, Paul. Take deep breaths and focus on my face. You can do it."

"Mel, get back," Sam commanded. "Bella, you too."

Paul met my eyes and I could tell he was trying hard not to phase, but in the back of my mind I knew he was too far gone. I could barely describe what happened next, but as Paul fell to the ground in half wolf form he hit me with his hand that was now a giant paw and knocked me aside.

There was a sharp pain in my arm and hip and as I looked down at my arm, I very slowly registered that my jacket sleeve was shredded and blood was practically pouring out of my arm. Where my hip was hurting, my jeans were sticky with blood.

Paul, now fully in wolf form was staring at me. Even from as far away as I was I could see the sadness in his eyes but his attention was soon turned back to Jacob who had also phased. I watched as the two wolves circled each other, growling, but soon Jared's form filled my vision.

"Jared, get her inside," Sam commanded. "Get Em to call Sue. Embry, get Bella inside and make sure she's okay. She may be in shock."

I can't say I was really paying attention to what Sam was saying. I felt woozy and light-headed.

"Mel, can you hear me?" Jared asked with an anxious edge to his voice. I nodded slowly. "I'm going to pick you up, okay? Do you think you can handle that?"

"I think so," I whispered.

He tucked his arms underneath me, holding me by the middle of my back and my knees. Surprisingly he didn't jostle me too much and it was virtually painless–unless that was just my body numbing itself because of all the pain.

I can vaguely recall hearing Emily's frantic call to Sue as Jared gently set me down onto the couch. I can also remember Bella asking why the guys weren't as worried about Paul and Jake to which Jared responded, "I hope Paul gets a mouthful of him, teach him a lesson."

He was trying to make light of that situation, and I tried to crack a smile for him, but the set of his jaw told me he was angry. The look in his eyes told me he was anxious and worried. His words from the other day floated around in my head. _If he ever does anything to hurt you, I'll kill him._

I could only imagine what was going through Jared's mind. I could assume that his thoughts about Paul weren't exactly pleasant at the moment. Jared grasped my hand that wasn't attached to my injured arm.

"You're going to be okay," he murmured. "Sue's a nurse; she'll be here soon to help you. Just sit tight, Mel, you'll be fine."

I don't know how long after it was that Sue Clearwater hurried into the house. She had a giant black leather bag with her, just like the one Carlisle used to use sometimes when he'd be going to the hospital. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw me, and I didn't even want to know how bad I must have looked.

She looked at Jared. "Do you think we can get her to the hospital?"

Jared looked unsure. "Why?"

"I might have to put her out for this and I don't have any anaesthetic with me. And she'll definitely need painkillers so she can heal easily."

"I think she's pretty numb as it is," Jared muttered. "I don't think she can really feel anything–she's lost a lot of blood and she's still losing it. Can't you stitch her up and then we'll take her?"

She pursed her lips. "Okay, I'll do that, but you'll have to move." He made a move to let go of my hand but it involuntarily tightened around his. Sue looked like she was going to say something but she didn't. Jared just shifted over so she could have a clear space to work.

Sue slid my jacket away from me and lifted my shirt where my hip was hurting and began to stitch me up and I barely felt a thing. Once in a while I would feel a sharp pinch, but other than that it wasn't too bad. Jared never let go of my hand the whole time she was stitching me up and she was humming to herself as she did it. Her humming soothed me. I concentrated more on that than anything else. In fact, it almost lulled me to sleep.

She must have noticed that I looked like I was going to fall asleep because she said, "Try not to sleep, Mel, I know it's hard and I know your head is feeling weird, but try to stay awake. You should be conscious for when we get to the hospital. They'll give you some painkillers, then you can sleep."

"Okay," I whispered. It was hard for me to keep my eyes open, my eyelids felt _so _heavy.

She began putting her supplies away and gave Jared a look, telling him it was time to move me, but before he could lift me I heard the door to Emily's house burst open. I didn't have to look up to know that Paul had come in, and I realized in hindsight that my hand was still in Jared's, but before I could say anything to him, Jared stood up to face Paul.

"Get away from her," he growled.

"Excuse me?" Paul demanded.

"What are you gonna do, Paul? Get mad and phase again? I'm not nearly as breakable as she is. I can take you. You could've killed her!"

"You think I don't know that?" Paul hissed.

I wanted to tell them to stop fighting, but I felt so light-headed and it felt like my mouth was full of cotton. My mouth couldn't form the words that I so desperately needed to say. I shot a desperate look at Sue who saw me and intervened.

"Jared," Sue cut in. "We have to get her to the hospital. Now."

"I'm coming with you," Paul insisted.

"You've done enough," Jared snapped. "Move, so I can get her out of here."

Jared came back to me and gently lifted me off the couch. As he carried me out of the house I briefly caught Paul's eye. He looked absolutely miserable, as if his whole world was walking away from him. I wanted to say something, but Jared had already turned away from him and was leaving the house.

He loaded me into the backseat of Sue's car before hopping into the front seat. I can barely remember the drive there, but I do remember that it was quiet and Sue drove very, very quickly. She parked in the parking lot and Jared lifted me out of the backseat and carried me into the hospital.

I remember taking pain pills, but being too light-headed to talk to any doctors. As I closed my eyes, the last thing I saw was my hand gripping Jared's.


	50. Chapter 25: Questions

**Chapter 25: Questions**

"Ms. Harmen, can you please explain exactly what happened?" a police officer asked, coming into my hospital room and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Jared was sitting beside me and Sue was standing in the corner of the room.

My head had a dull ache to it and I _really_ wasn't in the mood to answer these questions, but I took a deep breath and told the story I had been rehearsing since I woke up this morning with Jared and Sue. "Jared and I had gone for a walk near our friend Emily's house and as we were walking back to her house this giant…dog, I guess, came out of the forest. From what I remember, it charged at me and then I fell to the ground and felt the pain in my arm and side. I don't really remember what happened after that. I think I hit my head and I was trying not to pass out."

"Mr. Cameron, you were there with her while this happened?" he addressed Jared and Jared nodded. "What happened afterwards?"

"After she fell to the ground I tried to scare the dog away but I was more worried about Mel. I ran for her and it must have run off while I was tending to her."

"Are you and Miss. Harmen romantically involved with one another?"

My eyes widened. We had not rehearsed this. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"We're just trying to get a feel for the situation. There are numerous bruises on your arms and legs, along with the cuts on your arm and hip," he explained.

"You think he hurt me?! I fell to the ground! That's where the brui–"

"No," Jared muttered, cutting me off. "We aren't romantically involved with each other."

"Do you want to be?"

"That has nothing to do with this," Sue said sternly. The cop looked like he was going to say something to her but seemed to decide against it. Sue's tone had scared _me_ and I knew her pretty well.

He turned back to me. "Ms. Harmen, are you romantically involved with anyone at the moment?"

"Yes," I said curtly.

"May I ask who?" he asked. "And why he or she isn't here?"

"His name is Paul," I said. "And he isn't here because…" I trailed off, why wasn't he here? Obviously I couldn't say the real reason as to why he wasn't here, yeah, that'd get him arrested. But what would a good cover-up be?

"He's working," Jared supplied.

"He couldn't get time off to come visit his girlfriend in the hospital?" the cop asked, raising an eyebrow.

A voice from the door startled me. I noticed Jared stiffen in his chair out of the corner of my eye, but he didn't say anything.

"I'm here."

Paul looked rough. Idly, I wondered how long I had been unconscious because he had dark bags under his eyes and stubble lining his chin. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. Our eyes locked onto one another and he only looked away from me when the police officer addressed him.

"And you are?"

"Paul Lahote."

"Where were you at the time of Miss. Harmon's incident, Mr. Lahote?" he asked.

"I was working on something with a friend of ours. His fiancée, Emily, called us after she called Sue and told us what happened."

"Mrs. Clearwater, you can confirm this?"

"Yes," she said. "If you'd like further confirmation you can contact Emily Young."

The cop looked annoyed, but he couldn't really say anything since our story checked out. He thanked us and excused himself. Tension filled the air and I met Paul's eyes again hesitantly. He was watching me wearily and then quietly said, "Sue, Jared, if you don't mind, can I please talk to Mel alone?"

"I don't know, you gonna lose your temper again?" Jared demanded. Paul glared at him and opened his mouth to say something but I cut in before they could go at each other's throats.

"I want to talk to him," I said.

Jared shot me an angry look and said, "Seriously? You really want to talk to him after what he did to you?"

"Jared, let's give them some space," Sue said, giving him a pointed look. I could tell he didn't like it but he grudgingly stood up and pushed past Paul, brushing his shoulder as he passed, and followed Sue out of the room. Paul sank into the chair that Jared had just been sitting in. We were quiet for a few moments, just looking at each other.

Finally, in a broken voice, he said, "Tell me you want nothing to do with me. Tell me to go. Tell me you'd rather be with Jared. Tell me to off myself so I can do it knowing it's what you wanted."

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"For two days I've been wondering what you'd say to me and how you'd say it," he said. "I'm surprised you can even look at me after what I did to you."

"Paul, I'm not angry with you," I said.

"I could have killed you."

"I knew the risk of being with you when you first told me what you were," I said. "And I saw the risk first-hand after what happened to Emily."

"I'm a monster," he whispered.

"No you aren't. It was my fault," I said. "I should've known better than to run at you while you were basically phasing."

He stood up and put his arms around me. "God, what you did was so stupid." He didn't say it in an angry way. Relief poured out of his voice in every word he said. We seemed to be okay. In all honesty, I knew it was my fault for running at him like that. I should've known better than to run at him when he was phasing.

"Jared wouldn't leave me alone with you while you were asleep," he said sitting back down beside me and grasping my good hand in his. "He'd barely even let me in the room."

"Last week, or whenever that was when Jake phased, he told me that if you ever did anything to hurt me he'd kill you," I said before I could stop myself. "I don't think he likes you very much right now."

"Yeah, I heard him say that," he said. "Mel, don't get mad when I say this, okay? It's just that…you know how much safer for you it'd be if you were with him, right? After what just happened I won't…I won't blame you if you want to be with him."

"We've been over this," I said. I had wanted to sound stern but it just came out as an almost whimper.

"I know we have," he said. "But I want you to know that if you want to be with him I'll…I'll be okay with it."

"I want to be with you," I insisted. "Please don't push me away."

"I'm not trying to," he said, brushing a piece of hair away from my face. "I'll be here for as long as you want me here." He pressed his lips against my forehead and then took a deep breath. "Mel, listen–"

He was cut off by Sam coming into the hospital room. "Mel, are you alright?" I was surprised that he was asking and I'm sure my face showed that because he rolled his eyes and said, "You _are _a part of this pack, remember?"

I smiled in spite of myself. "I'm fine, a little banged up but other than that I'm okay. I'm not in any pain. Thanks for asking."

"That's good," he said before turning to Paul. "Did you tell her?" Paul's expression hardened immediately, and I looked between the two of them.

"Sam, she just woke up, she doesn't have to deal with this–"

I cut him off. "Tell me what?"

"Jacob found out what the red-headed vamp wants," Paul muttered.

"Bella," I said. They both looked at me in surprise and I shrugged. "I mean, why else would she keep coming back here? Especially after the Cullens killed her mate; the Cullens aren't here anymore, so she'll just settle for Bella."

"It isn't that easy," Sam said. "She wants to get revenge on Edward Cullen for killing her mate, so she's going after Bella. Apparently the one we killed was part of her little coven."

"Laurent," I whispered, dread filling me.

"What's wrong?" Paul asked.

"My mom…he was the one who turned her. She told me that she had fallen in love with him but then he stayed with a coven like the Cullens in Alaska." Would my mom want to avenge Laurent's death in the same way Victoria wanted to avenge James's death? Would my mom go after Emily or maybe even me?

"We'll keep you safe," Sam promised. "We all think that it would be best if you and Paul move back into La Push, at least until we find her. And you should always have either Paul or Jared with you."

"Like a babysitter?" I asked, raising and eyebrow.

He sighed heavily. "I wouldn't want to call it that, but yes, essentially like a babysitter. I'm going to need them more often and we need to keep you safe."

"What about Emily? And Bella?"

"Arrangements will be made for both of them," he said. "It'll be easier to have either Paul or Jared with you at all times, because even when they aren't with you they'll be able to feel if you're in trouble." I pursed my lips. I didn't like the idea of constantly needing a babysitter, but I knew that it was necessary. "Anyway, you'll be safe for as long as you're in the hospital. You won't need constant supervision in here. Paul, I'm going to need you soon, alright?"

"Yeah, that's fine," he said, and then Sam left the hospital room.

"So, I guess you have to go," I said quietly.

"Are you going to be okay in here?" he asked. "I could get Emily to come stay with you, but Sam isn't letting me sit this out today. I missed enough time while you were out."

"No, I'll be fine. I'll probably just sleep while you're gone. Do you know when I'm getting out of here?"

"No, I don't, but I can ask Sue for you if you'd like."

"No, I'll just ask a nurse when one swings by. They're bound to check on me at some point."

"Are you really okay?" he asked quietly.

"Paul, I'm fine. I wasn't lying to Sam."

"I mean about the other stuff."

My stomach flipped uneasily and I very quietly asked, "What if my mom comes for me?"

"She won't," he promised. "Neither of them will get past us. You know that."

"Be careful out there, okay?" I said. "She has a personal reason to attack you."

He chuckled. "I'll be fine. I can handle them." He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and then left my room and I was left all alone. I pushed the button on my hospital bed to call for a nurse and waited for one to come. A few moments later an older woman in a nurse's uniform with blonde hair bustled into my room.

"You alright, dear?" she asked. "It's almost time for lunch and after you eat your lunch you have to take some medication for the pain."

"I'm not in any pain," I objected.

"Oh you will be," she said.

"When can I get out of here?" I asked.

"Tomorrow should be when you leave," she said. "You're doing really well, that two day sleep really helped you heal. Just try not to move or jostle your arm too much."

"Was I really out for two days?" I asked.

She nodded. "And those two boys never left your side. It was cute, but we needed room to work on you."

I heard the sound of someone clearing their throat from the door and looked over to see none other than my mom coming into the room. I stiffened at the sight of her. Her eyes were dark, and I couldn't tell if it meant that she was thirsty or if she had contacts in.

"May I ask who you are?" my nurse asked.

"I'm Mel's mother," she said.

"You aren't on her emergency contact list or her approved list of visitors."

My mom turned her eyes on me. "Is it okay if I'm here, Mel?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

My nurse looked between us and then turned back to me. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your lunch, okay?" I nodded again, still not saying anything. My nurse left the room and my mom eyed my arm.

"Look what he did to you," she said angrily. She looked terrifying. The was a dangerous glint to her eyes that told me she was just about ready to tear Paul apart.

Anger flared up in me. "How is what he did to me any worse than you abandoning me?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Do not test me, Melanie, I will not hesitate to turn you right now and get you out of here. Maybe then you could actually defend yourself against him."

"You think he did this to me on purpose?" I demanded. "It was an _accident_."

"Yes, but him murdering Laurent was not an accident," she hissed.

"You don't know that that was him," I said.

"It was him and his pack of mutts," she snapped. "Maybe I should get my revenge."

"Time for lunch, Ms. Harmon," my nurse sang coming back into my room and turning to my mom. "I'm sorry, but we don't allow visitors during meal times."

"That's alright," my mom smiled dangerously. "I'll see her soon enough."

I got chills just thinking about what she had said. She'd see me soon enough? What did that _mean?_ Would she come back later tonight and take me out of here? My nurse put the tray of food on the over the bed table and rolled it over to me so it was in the right position.

"I know it tastes like cardboard," she said apologetically. "I'll see if I can get you something that tastes a little better for dinner. Your pain pills are in this little cup. Just take them when you're done eating."

"Thank you," I said, appetite lost. As soon as she was out of my room I instinctively reached for my phone on the table beside me but it wasn't there. I scanned the tiny room, looking for a bag of mine or _something_ to use. In the corner of the room was the hospital's phone. My body felt stiff just lying here; I didn't know how well I'd manage walking over to it. I pushed the table away from me and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I gasped as pain seared through my hip and I held onto it, taking deep breaths. I needed to get to that phone. I stood up, trying to ignore the pain in my hip, and limped over to the phone. I collapsed onto the chair beside the little table, and dialed Paul's cell.

_Please pick up, please tell me you haven't phased yet,_ I willed. Sure enough I got his voicemail. I slammed the phone down in frustration before taking a deep breath and calling Emily.

She answered on the second ring and the story just came pouring out of me. "Em, my mom came here, she just left, and I think…I think she's going to turn me–tonight. When Paul or Jared is done running can you tell them to come here please? I don't think I'm safe here." By the end of it I was almost in tears.

"Do you want me to come there?" she asked.

"No!" I said. "No, if my mom is targeting the pack I don't want her to go after you. She's pissed off because they killed this vamp she fell in love with. She knows if she turns me it'll hurt Paul. I don't want her to do the same thing to you."

I could practically see her pursing her lips. "Okay, I guess you're right. But if you're upset they can both probably feel it. Either one of them will probably be there sooner than you think."

"Thank you, Em," I said and we said our goodbyes and hung up. I looked back at the bed and it felt like it was a mile away. I didn't know if I'd even make it all the way back there. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the pain, and pulled myself out of the chair. I almost sat right back down as pain shot through me, but I somehow stayed balanced.

I took a step towards the bed, when a voice from the door stopped me.

"What are you doing out of bed?"


	51. Chapter 26: Safe

**Chapter 26: Safe**

"Jared! Thank God!" Relief poured out of me at the sight of him.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," he said sternly. He came over to me and helped me back into the hospital bed. "What happened? Paul and I felt that you were upset and scared, and then in pain. Sam sent me to come check on you."

I took a deep breath. "My mom came here." I quickly explained everything that happened and everything she said. By the end of it I was almost in tears again. Jared was quiet and eyeing me wearily. Finally, I asked, "What?"

"Mel, I don't smell a vampire in here," he said.

"You think I'm lying?" I demanded.

"No," he said. "But have you taken your pills today? I mean maybe they messed with your head."

I held up the little cup with my pills in it and shook it slightly. "No, I haven't. Jared, she was here. You can ask my nurse."

"Okay," he said. "But she's getting sneaky. I don't know how she would've covered her scent. It doesn't even smell like anyone other than you and your nurse was in here."

"I cannot stay here tonight," I said. "What if she comes back when visiting hours are over? I'll be unprotected."

"We'll see if we can make some type of–"

He was cut off by nurse coming into my room. She looked at Jared and raised an eyebrow. "No visitors during mealtime."

"I'm not hungry," I mumbled, pushing the tray away from me.

She pursed her lips. "You can't take your pills on an empty stomach."

"I'm not in any pain," I objected immediately.

"Yes you are, you could barely walk from your bed to the phone. You couldn't even walk the full way back," Jared said. I shot him a dirty look but he continued and said to my nurse, "But maybe she'd heal better in an environment she's comfortable in. I'd gladly take her home and make sure she takes her pills and has proper meals."

"You got out of bed?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and turning back to me.

"I needed to use the phone," I said sheepishly.

"And you could barely walk?"

"I managed."

"You aren't healing nearly as well as we thought you were," she said. "It'd probably be better if you stayed here longer," she said.

"I have school," I objected.

"When's spring break?"

I hesitated. When _was_ spring break? "Next week…I think."

"Well, considering you've already missed three days this week, two more won't kill you." Jared and I shared a look that said, _it might just kill me_, but neither of us said anything to her. "Eat your lunch, take your pills, and then sleep your afternoon away."

She left my room and I met Jared's eyes again. "You won't leave me, will you?"

"Not unless someone else is here to watch you."

I ate my lunch–even though it tasted awful and I really wasn't hungry, and then I grudgingly took my pills.

This became a routine. I'd wake up, eat, try to walk around, take my pills, and pass out for the rest of the day. I was never alone in my room. Either Paul or Jared was always with me.

I felt guilty. I knew that it was putting a strain on them, what with their almost constant patrolling and then coming to the hospital to sit with me, so I didn't mind when they slept while they were here. It was getting easier to walk, too. I could walk down the hall with help from either of the guys and it was virtually painless.

I wasn't sure how long I had been in here, but I was sure I'd be able to leave soon. It felt as though I had been here for a week.

Paul kept me updated since he was the one who was normally here during the day. He told me that he had moved all our things back to the apartment and that it was basically waiting for me to come home and for things to get back to normal again.

When I woke up one day, it was dark. The first thing I noticed was that neither Jared nor Paul was in my room. My stomach clenched nervously–they were always here. The second thing I noticed was that there was a figure standing in the corner of my room. The person was tiny, and from their silhouette I could tell it was a female. Her hair was short and dark, and her skin was so pale it almost glowed. I thought I was imagining that she was there and that I was still asleep, but then she flicked on the light and said:

"Honestly, you're almost as bad as Bella."

"Alice?" I croaked, voice hoarse. "Are you really here?"

"Yes, silly, I'm really here." She handed me a small cup of water.

I rubbed my eyes and took a drink. "What are you doing here?"

She raised an eyebrow at me. "I think the more appropriate question at the moment is why you're in the hospital."

I felt my face flush. "I'll explain later. Are you guys…are you guys back?"

She pursed her lips, obviously unhappy with my delaying of an explanation but she said. "No, you've missed a lot today."

I finally got a good look at her face. She looked stressed. I had never seen a vampire show signs of being stressed like that. "Tell me everything."

"I had a vision of Bella jumping off a cliff. I didn't think, I just got into Carlisle's car and drove here as quickly as I could. I knew that I would probably be too late to save her, but I figured that Charlie would need some comforting and I wanted to do whatever I could to help him out. When I _did_ get here, I learned that Bella had decided to throw herself off a cliff for recreational purposes." She rolled her eyes. "And then I head to my old house because I knew you were staying there–not that I mind–and see that all your stuff is gone. So, then I head to your apartment, because I was worried about you, and no one's there either. Finally, I see Jacob Black walking down the street in La Push, and he got mad because I was on his territory, but then I explained why I was there and he told me you were here. Which brings us back to my first question; why are you in the hospital?"

Guilt seeped into me. "You thought both Bella and I were dead, didn't you?"

She hesitated. "Well…I couldn't find you, and your future was blank. Bella's future was blank as well."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I shouldn't have worried you like that."

"Explain." She raised an eyebrow and scrutinized my bandaged arm.

I took a deep breath. "It happened last week. I assume you know about Bella and Jacob's friendship?" She nodded with a look of annoyance on her face so I barrelled on. "Well, he started phasing and ignoring Bella. So she got pissed and then she found out about him and the guys. I was at Emily's house and Jacob was bringing Bella there–I guess so when the guys found out they wouldn't get as angry being around Em and me–but then they saw Jacob and Bella together outside. Paul got mad and he and Bella sort-of got into an argument, and then Paul started phasing. I ran out to try and stop him–I really shouldn't have–and then he scratched me and I fell to the ground."

She shook her head. "Honestly the two of you are such danger magnets."

"You should know, though," I began seriously.

"That Victoria is hunting Bella, yeah I already know," she said before I could say anything.

"Not just that," I said. "My mom, she's been…around."

"I saw," she said. "I also saw that she gave you a syringe full of her venom."

I looked away from her. "Yeah, she did."

"Are you considering it?"

I met her eyes again. "I have been."

"I've been considering turning you for ages," she said. My eyes widened at her. "To avoid something like _this_," she motioned to my bandages, "from happening."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes really," she said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, something like this was bound to happen–we both know that. I didn't want to lose you because of what he is."

"Speaking of which–where is he? Or Jared?"

Now it was her time to look away. "Paul was in here when I got here, but he had to go. When I showed up he actually seemed thankful–imagine that." She turned and met my eyes sadly. "Someone from the res, Harry Clearwater, I think?" I nodded, dread filling my stomach. "He had a heart attack and passed away today. Paul went to go make sure everyone was okay."

"Oh no," I whispered. "Poor Sue. Poor Leah and Seth."

I couldn't dwell on that for any longer, because my nurse came bustling into my room. She looked at Alice and then turned to me. "Who is this?"

"Alice Cullen," Alice said, setting her dazzling smile on her.

"She's one of my emergency contacts," I said. I had put Alice down before the Cullens left and hadn't had a chance to change it yet–maybe now I wouldn't have to.

"Well, you're being released today," my nurse said. "Your doctor has prescribed some pills for you, just in case you have any other pain." She handed me a slip of paper and then turned to Alice. "Will you help her get dressed and take her home?"

"Gladly," Alice said, grinning widely at her.

My nurse said bye to me and then left the room. Alice helped me out of bed and into some clothes that Paul had packed for me when I first came in here. I was a little stiff from being asleep all afternoon and well into the evening, but other than that I had virtually no pain. We went down to the pharmacy in the hospital and got my meds, and then she led me out into the parking lot of the hospital and to a sleek black car.

"Is Carlisle back too?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nope, just me. I'm not even really supposed to be in Forks, but Bella is making me stay for a few days. If Edward found out he'd have my head on a platter."

"Does anyone know you're here?" I asked.

"Just Jasper and Rosalie," she said, starting to drive. "Carlisle and Esme were on a hunting trip when I left, and Emmett…well you know how Emmett is. He doesn't pay attention to anything."

"Where's Edward?" I asked.

"Last I heard, South America," she said. "He barely checks in with us anymore. I swear he only does because he respects Carlisle too much not to."

I noticed she wasn't driving into La Push, but the way to her house instead. "I don't live at your house anymore. Paul moved all our things back."

"He won't be home tonight anyway and Jacob Black was visiting Bella. I didn't think it'd be very pleasant for either of us if we were both there. I don't know how long he'll be there, so I figured you and I could spend some time together."

Alice told me about what she had been doing. The Cullens were currently with the Denali clan. She had found out about her life before being turned. Her name had been Mary Alice Brandon and she had had a sister named Cynthia. Cynthia's daughter was still alive in Biloxi.

"Are you going to go see her?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. What good would it really do? I wouldn't be able to really talk to her, would I?"

I shrugged. "But at least you could see where you came from."

"Maybe I will, I don't know yet." By this point she had pulled up into the massive garage and reached into the backseat to grab my bag of clothes. I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car. Alice walked with me into the house but once we were inside she froze. I sank onto the couch, feeling a bit of pressure in my hip but Alice hadn't moved.

"Alice?" I asked.

She blinked a few times and then focused on me, face clouded with horror. "It's Edward…he…he thinks Bella's dead. He found out why I came here. He's angry and upset."

"Is he going to come here?"

"No…I…I think he's going to take more drastic measures. I have to go. Will you be okay here?"

"I…I think so. Will you call me and let me know what's happening?"

She nodded and set my bag down beside me. "I'll talk to you as soon as I can."

She rushed out of the house and I briefly heard the purr of Carlisle's car before everything was silent again. I pulled my phone out of my bag and called Paul.

"Hello?" He sounded completely exhausted.

"Hey," I said. "It's me."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the Cullen house, my nurse said I could leave and Alice brought me here."

"Is she with you?"

"No, there was a situation she had to deal with," I said. "I just…I wanted to let you know where I am so you don't worry about me. You've had enough to deal with today. I'm so sorry about Harry. I know he meant a lot to you."

"Thanks," he said quietly. "Listen, I might have to stop by in a bit–pack business. So don't be scared when there's knocking at your door, okay?"

I chewed on my lip. I didn't like how he specified that he was coming for pack business like it was the only reason he'd show up. "Alright."

"I'll see you soon."

I ended the call and leaned back against the couch. Not too long after there was a knock at the door. I braced myself before opening it. I was nervous about the conversation I was about to have.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"Are they all back?" Paul asked. His voice was basically emotionless and his jaw was set angrily. His face was just a mask of coldness.

I straightened slightly, bristling at his tone. "No, just Alice, and she isn't even here."

"Are they all coming back?"

"I don't know," I said. "You can come in, you know."

"No, I really can't."

"It doesn't have to be this way," I said.

"Yes it does." He turned away from me, but I stepped out of the house and wrapped my arms around his waist, stopping him from leaving.

"Don't go," I whispered desperately. "Can't you stay?" I vaguely heard my phone ringing but I didn't make any move to get it.

"You should get that," Paul said bitterly. "It might be important."

He shook my arms off of him and trudged back to his car. I closed the front door of the house, trying to stop myself from crying, and went to my phone. My stomach knotted in nerves when I picked it up and looked at the screen.

Alice was calling.


	52. Chapter 27: Reunited

**Chapter 27: Reunited**

"Edward is going to the Volturi in Italy; he wants to kill himself and thinks that asking the Volturi to kill him will be the quickest way to do it." Alice was speaking so quickly I had trouble keeping up.

"Wait–the Volturi?"

She huffed impatiently. "Did I never tell you about them? They're the vampire police. They make sure everyone follows the laws of our kind, and if someone breaks a law the Volturi will punish them."

"Laws?" I asked.

"Mel, this is not the time. I'll explain everything whenever we get back. Bella and I are on the way to Italy right now, we just got off our flight to New York and we're running to catch our connecting flight. Listen, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme may be arriving back tonight, so don't be alarmed if you hear people in the house."

"They're coming back?" I asked.

I could hear the smile in her voice. "Yes, after this it's pretty much set in stone that we'll be coming back to Forks. If we succeed then Edward will see that he doesn't need to stay away from her anymore."

"That's…" I trailed off. It felt bittersweet in a way. Of course, I was ecstatic that they'd be coming back, but it also made me wonder where that would leave Paul and I. whatever had happened earlier between us had not been good and it had been just because of Alice coming back. What would he do when they all came back? I realized neither of us were saying anything and said, "That's great Alice! Will you keep me posted?"

"I'll try to," she said. "I can't make any promises." She lowered her voice. "If Jasper asks, can you tell him that I'm fine? I don't want him to worry more than he already has to. I told him I'd try to get out no matter what, but I can't see that happening if they decide…well if they decide to hurt us."

"Yeah, for sure," I said, getting a bad feeling in my gut.

"Thank you, Mel," she said. "I'll call you when I can, but I have to go, our plane is taking off."

"Bye Alice," I said, hearing my voice break. The line went dead and I knew that that may have been the last time I ever spoke to her. I put my phone back into my bag and slung it over my good shoulder and went upstairs. By the time I made it upstairs I was huffing and pain was searing through my hip. I took the pill bottle out of my bag and went into the bathroom to take a pill with water.

After I had swallowed it, I looked at myself in the mirror. Alice's words from earlier rang through my head. _I've been considering turning you for ages. _Would she actually do it? I glanced down at my arm and peeled back part of the bandage covering it. I cringed immediately. The scars weren't as bad as Emily's, but they still looked pretty gruesome, and I still had stitches in which just added to how bad it looked. I wondered if I'd ever completely heal from it.

Well, if I was turned I would heal from it.

A thought formed in my head and before I could stop myself I went into my room and checked my nightstand. Paul had left the syringe here. Oddly enough, I was surprised. I had assumed he'd take it when he moved all out things out.

I shook my head at myself. I had bigger things to worry about right now. I did _not_ need to be thinking about becoming a vampire.

I went to the door of my room and locked it. I knew Alice had said that the rest of the Cullens would probably get there later on tonight, but I wasn't concerned with keeping them out, it was my mom I was worried about. I didn't want her to find out I was here alone and have an easy shot at me because of that. She'd probably be able to smell that Alice had been here, and maybe she'd just think that she hadn't left and was still here with me.

Either way, I wasn't going to take my chances. I felt drowsiness wash over me and got into bed.

I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

When I woke up it was light outside and I was vaguely aware of someone knocking on my bedroom door. Through the haze of grogginess I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and checked it before dragging myself out of bed and opening my door. I barely even had time to look up before I was lifted off the ground in a huge bear hug.

"I missed you, kid!" Emmett's joyful voice boomed.

"Ow! Emmett you're crushing me," I huffed.

He set me down and grinned at me. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I don't think you opened any stitches," I said, peeling the bandage back and inspecting my wounds.

"Stitches?" he asked, and then looked at my arm and his face went serious. "What the hell happened to you? Fight with a wolf?"

"Sort-of," I admitted.

He grinned again. "I hope you got a good chunk out of him."

I smacked him playfully, but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I was too happy to see him. "Is everyone else here?"

"Yeah, they've been waiting for you to wake up. C'mon kid, let's go." I hobbled out of the room, feeling a slight strain on my hip and Emmett rolled his eyes and picked me up, carrying me downstairs. Once we were on the main floor, he didn't set me down. Instead, he took me into the living room and boomed, "Sleeping Beauty's awake, but she's damaged goods."

"Mel!" Rosalie basically squealed in excitement when she saw me. "Put her down!"

He gently set me down and Rosalie hugged me tightly. "What happened to you?"

"She got in a fight with a wolf," Emmett said gleefully.

Rosalie's eyes widened at me. "What? Mel why did you pick a fight with him? You _know_ how dangerous they can be!"

"Can I sit down?" I asked. "I promise I'll explain everything."

Rosalie helped me to the couch and sat beside me. Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle all sat on the furniture around me while Emmett leaned against a wall.

"Well, before you say anything, I just want to tell you how good it is to see you," Esme said. "And you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

"Thank you, Esme," I said with a smile. "That really means a lot."

"Explain," Rosalie said sharply.

I took a deep breath. "Paul got angry with Bella when she found out about them–that's a completely different story–and they sort-of got into an argument. He started phasing and I ran to him to try and stop him but he was already too far gone and as he fell to the ground he accidentally hit me and scratched me."

The house was absolutely silent until Emmett began laughing. "I knew you had some fight in you!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at him and Carlisle said, "If you'd like I'll look them over for you, just to make sure your stitches aren't infected."

"That'd be great, thank you, Carlisle."

"Mel, have you heard from Alice?" Jasper asked quietly.

I met his eyes hesitantly. "Not since last night. She told me she was fine when she called, though."

"Yeah, that was before they arrived in Italy, though," he muttered, looking out the window. The atmosphere in the house was tense. Even though Emmett was cracking jokes it did nothing to lighten the mood. I could tell he was just trying to get everyone's mind off of things but it didn't. Carlisle and Esme's faces were etched with worry, while Jasper just kept to himself. Rosalie and Emmett stayed with me and we tried to talk about everything apart from what was going on across the ocean.

Rosalie felt awful about what had happened and explained it all to me. She had called Edward and told him why Alice had come to Forks. "It really was in his best interests," she insisted. "I knew how he felt about her and figured he should know what had happened to her. I never meant for all of this to happen. I know that if something happened to Emmett I'd want to know what happened if I wasn't around…but I never thought he'd actually try to kill himself because of it." She shook her head sadly. "If they die there…"

"I'm sure they'll forgive you," I said, ignoring the thought that they may not make it out. "Edward will be able to hear in your head why you did it." She didn't say anything, just looked out the window with a glum expression on her face.

Finally at about noon Alice called me. My phone startled me and I shared a wide-eyed look with Rosalie.

"Hello?" I asked breathlessly.

"We're waiting to leave the castle," she said, speaking swiftly. "They refused to kill Edward and then met with us, but allowed us to leave. We'll be out of the country by nightfall. We should be back in Forks by noon tomorrow at the latest. Is everyone there? Hang on–Edward, I think she's having hysterics, maybe you should slap her–sorry about that Mel, but is everyone there?"

"Yes, they're all here."

"Will you let them know that we're okay?" she asked.

"Of course!" Jasper literally appeared out of nowhere and held his hand out for my phone. "Hang on; Jasper wants to talk to you." I handed him my phone and looked around the room. Each of the Cullens was grinning from ear to ear.

"They're going to be okay," Esme breathed. The tension in the room immediately eased away, and I knew it wasn't Jasper manipulating our emotions since he was talking to Alice on the phone outside.

The next day I stayed at the Cullen house while the rest of them went to greet Edward, Bella, and Alice at the airport. Rosalie had practically begged me to come–I figured she was afraid to face Edward–but I rejected. I said that my hip was bothering me and my arm was sore. Carlisle raised an eyebrow at me with an amused expression on his face, as if he knew without even examining me that it wasn't _that_ bad, but he didn't say anything.

Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme were the first to return. Alice came straight for me and hugged me. I was so relieved to see her I almost burst into tears at the mere sight of her. Not too long after, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett came back.

"How'd it go?" Esme asked.

"Well, Charlie forbade me from walking through his front door again, and he's planning on grounding Bella for what happened, but she's fine and she's in bed. I'll be heading back there soon." Edward turned and met my eyes finally. He came towards me and said, "Thank you for trying to take care of her."

"You're welcome," I said. "It was hard though."

He waved a hand. "I can see that."

He turned away from me and Carlisle came up to me. He looked over my arm and hip and said that they were healing nicely. I'd still be in pain for a while and I'd have permanent scarring, but other than that I'd be perfectly normal.

In the next few days, things were normal again. Edward and Alice returned to school when spring break was over and things were going good. I had called Paul numerous times, but he never answered. I was frustrated. I didn't understand why he was ignoring me just because the Cullens were back. He hadn't ignored me when they had been living here previously, why had that all of a sudden changed?

"Okay, what's wrong?" Alice demanded one night when we were doing homework together.

"Nothing," I mumbled, writing out an answer.

"That's wrong, by the way," she said. I erased it, making a face at her, and looked for the right answer in my notes. "Honestly, Mel, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Alice, I'm just trying to get my homework done." I re-wrote my answer and held my notebook up to her to get her approval.

She nodded and said, "I can tell when you're lying." I met her eyes, trying to convey that I wasn't upset about anything, but her eyes cleared immediately. "Get your ass down to La Push right now."

"He obviously doesn't want to see me if he's been ignoring my calls," I said, and then looked down at my homework. "And besides, I have a lot to do."

"I can do it for you."

"We don't write the same," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "I can sign your name better than you can."

"That doesn't change the fact that he doesn't want to see me."

"So what, you're just going to stay here moping because he's being too stubborn to answer his phone? Go." I knew it sounded ridiculous so I grudgingly stood up and left the house. I drove slowly, putting off when I'd see him. I was nervous to talk to him. Finally I pulled into the parking lot of the apartment and went up to the door. I hesitated before knocking.

It took him a few moments to answer the door, but when he did he looked down at me wearily.

"Glad to see you're still human," he said coldly.

I didn't allow what he said to affect me. "Are you really this angry with me, for something that I didn't even really do? Really Paul, what did I do?"

"You chose them," he said, jaw set angrily.

"How?" I demanded. "All I did was stay at the Cullen house with Alice who I hadn't seen for _months_. I didn't choose them over you."

He didn't say anything; he just wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him. He cupped my face in his free hand and kissed me with enough force to drown me.

"God, I missed you so much," he said once he had broken away from me.

"Don't ever do that again," I said, trying to sound stern. "I thought…I thought…"

"Don't," he said, putting a finger against my lips to silence me. "Are we okay now?"

"We're fine." I grinned and kissed him again.

I was right back where I belonged in his arms again, and I couldn't feel any better about it if I tried.


	53. Chapter 28: Disaster

**Chapter 28: Disaster**

The next few days at school went well. Bella and Edward were back together, Bella was as talkative as she got again, and Paul and I were happy. I was still living at the Cullen house, and I knew Paul didn't like it, but it was so much easier to get to school from there. I saw him almost every night, even when I was working–he'd come by my register during shifts and during my breaks he'd sit outside with me.

In fact, right now I was sitting with him behind the grocery store on my break. I was leaning against him, enjoying how the sun felt against my skin. It had been super slow in the store today, since basically everyone was out enjoying the weather.

Just before I was supposed to go back inside, Johnny came out and told me I could leave because of how slow it was. I pulled Paul over to my car, but he stopped me.

"Let's walk, it's too nice out to drive."

"Okay," I said grasping his hand. "Where are we going?"

"How about the cliffs?" he proposed.

My stomach lurched nervously. "Where you and the guys jump from all the time?" He nodded, and I warned, "I'm not jumping."

He chuckled. "I know, neither am I."

"Good, it freaks me out when you guys do that," I said, shuddering.

"I know it does," he said, squeezing my hand. Once we climbed up onto the cliff, I was overwhelmed by how high up it was. This was the first time I had let Paul bring me up here. I held on tightly to him and my legs felt like they had turned to gelatin. I shakily sat down and leaned against him heavily. My hip was a tiny bit sore, but it wasn't too awful, I was more afraid of falling.

"I didn't know you were afraid of heights," he teased.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"You know I'm only kidding, I won't let you fall, you'll be fine with me," he promised. We sat together for a while, watching the waves lap against the cliffs and the beach. It actually managed to soothe my nerves, just listening to the ocean and watching it.

Finally after neither of us saying anything for a while, Paul said, "So when are you going to move back in to the apartment?"

"Probably at the end of the school year," I shrugged. "Only a few more months."

"I miss you," he said stiffly.

I twisted around so I was facing him. "I know, and I miss you too, but you know how much easier it is there."

"Yeah, easier to live with a bunch of people who have to hold back from killing you," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Where is this coming from?" I demanded, anger burning through my veins.

"I don't like when you're there because I don't know if I'll see you alive again!" he snapped.

"You know, they say the exact same thing about you," I said coldly.

Then, something absolutely terrible happened. I had meant to push myself up off the ground and walk away from him, but as I tried to stand, pain seared through my hip and I fell to the ground, but I guess we had been sitting too close to the edge of the cliff because I slipped right off the edge. Somehow, before I could plummet into the water, I was able to grab a rock with my good hand that was jutting far out of the side of the cliff. I grabbed it with my other arm, to make myself more secure and felt pain shoot through it at the strain of what I was doing. I gritted my teeth against it, trying to hold on as best I could.

"Mel!" Paul yelled, inching closer to the edge of the cliff. "Hold on!"

"Stop!" I screamed. "You're going to fall!"

"I can get you," he said. His voice sounded calm but I could see how anxious he was.

"You'll fall!" I yelled again. He leaned further over the edge and I felt like I was going to throw up. "Stop it, Paul! You're going to get hurt."

"Try pulling yourself further up onto the rock," he said. I tried to pull myself up but I wasn't strong enough, and with the combination of the pain in my arm and the wind whipping at my face, it was no use.

"I can't," I said helplessly.

"Mel, it's okay," he was speaking calmly to me, as if that would work to keep me calm. I focused on his face, knowing that these would probably the last moments I would ever see him. He slid as far forward as he could without falling and stretched his hand out to me. "You're going to have to try and reach my hand." I took my bad arm off the cliff and reached up to him, but couldn't reach.

"I can't," I said miserably, feeling the tears surface. I grasped the rock with both of my hands again, but it didn't do much good; I could feel my hands slipping off of it. I looked up at Paul and said, "Paul, I love you."

"No!" he shouted. "No, you aren't leaving me like this, Mel, hold on."

"Paul, I'm losing my grip and I'm going to fall," I practically sobbed. "I love you so much."

"No! Hold on, Melanie, just a little bit longer. I can get you."

"I can't hold on!" I cried.

"Do not let go," he practically begged.

"I love you," I sobbed. I knew this would the last time I ever saw him. The pain in my arm was getting to be unbearable and I was sure that half my stitches had ripped.

"No!" he practically snarled as my injured hand slipped off the rock. I didn't have the strength in me anymore to pull it back up. Any second now my other hand would slip off too.

There was so much that I wanted to tell him. There were so many unsaid things that he would never hear from me. There were so many things that I wished I could've said to him, and now, in my final moments, I would never be able to. He'd never hear what I so desperately wished to tell him. I stared up at him, tears streaming down my face. This would be the last time I would get to see his face clearly. I felt my other hand slipping and I knew it was just a matter of time.

"Don't you dare let go," he said. "Mel, please, just hold on."

"I can't," I whispered.

As my other hand slipped off the edge of the rock, a scream tore through my lungs and I hit the water hard. I instinctively gasped as I broke the surface, and could quite literally feel my lungs fill with water. The water was icy cold and within a few moments I could feel the numbness spreading through my body. I frantically tried to swim to the surface, but the current picked me up and I hit something hard.

Everything went black.


	54. Chapter 29: Fallen

**Chapter 29: Fallen**

_Paul_

Paul heard Mel's scream pierce the air as she fell into the water. He frantically searched the water for her, paralyzed by fear and dread. When he didn't see her head come to the surface, his limbs seemed to work on their own and he dove into the water.

It was absolutely freezing, and made him stop for a split second. This happened almost every time he and the guys jumped from the cliffs, but it didn't take too long for him to adjust. He took a deep lungful of air and swam underwater, frantically searching for her. He could feel her slipping away from him right along with his sanity. He didn't have much time to get her. He swam to the surface again, took another deep breath, and dove under again.

After what seemed like far too long, he _finally_ found her. She was tangled in some seaweed and her eyes were closed. Even from far away he could see that her head was bloody, as was her arm. Her bandage must have come off and some of her stitches must have ripped. He swam to her and pulled her out of the seaweed by her uninjured arm, and swam to the shore with her in tow.

He pulled her out of the water and onto the beach, pausing only for a moment to catch his breath before he started performing CPR on her and wrapping her bloody arm in his shirt. Her skin had gone an almost blue colour, and her lips were pale and purplish. He could feel that she was almost completely gone. Her heart was still beating, but it was faint. He held his head in his hands and tried to take deep breaths. Soon enough, he was sure to feel the physical pain of losing her. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't–but he didn't have a choice. She was slipping away from him and the pain of that shot through him–both physically and mentally. He felt like he couldn't breathe. It was as if he was drowning just as she had.

She was going to die and he had no choice in the matter.

No. He _did _have a choice. It dawned on him with a sudden sense of clarity. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner? He picked her up and got ready to run, but he was stopped.

"Where are you taking her?"

Paul turned to see Jared approaching him. "Jared, I don't have time."

"You're taking her to _them_, aren't you?" he practically sneered.

"Can't you feel her dying?" Paul snapped.

"You'd rather her be like them?" Jared demanded.

"You'd rather her be dead?!"

Jared didn't say anything so Paul pushed past him and ran as fast as he could to the Cullens' house. He banged on the front door, feeling paranoia creeping up his neck. His thoughts were becoming erratic and it felt as though his entire life was coming apart. Rosalie opened the door and her lips came up over her teeth in a snarl, not seeing Mel in his arms. Shouldn't she have been able to smell the blood?

"She's dying!" Paul growled. She looked down at Mel in his arms and her face turned from angry to horrified in an instant.

"Bring her in," she said quietly, looking like she was going to be sick if that were possible. He followed Rosalie up the stairs to what he knew was Mel's room and reluctantly laid her out on the bed. He felt like letting go of her for even an instant was like letting her go forever. He felt like he needed some type of physical contact with her to keep himself sane. Alice and Carlisle came into the room two minutes later. Alice's face turned horrified while Carlisle went straight for Mel, as if he was going into "doctor-mode".

"What happened to her?" Alice whispered.

"She fell off a cliff," Paul said, trying to remain calm.

"Carlisle–I can't stay here," Rosalie said, holding a hand to her mouth. "There's…there's too much blood."

Carlisle nodded at her and she left. Then, he held Mel's wrist to check her pulse. He looked up at Paul hesitantly. "It's faint and she isn't breathing and she's lost a lot of blood."

"I know!" Paul snapped, and then felt a twinge of remorse at the tone he had taken with him. He had no problems with Carlisle and he'd hopefully be the one to save Mel. "She's dying."

"I don't know what we can do."

Paul turned to Alice. "Is the syringe still here?"

"In the nightstand," she said, jerking her chin towards it.

Paul reached for the nightstand and wrenched the syringe out of the drawer, thrusting it at Carlisle. "_This_ is what you can do." Paul could feel that Mel was almost completely gone. She had very little to no time left. It needed to happen and it needed to happen now if they were going to save her.

"Are you sure about this?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes!" Paul said desperately at the same time that Alice said, "Aro knows about her. It was only a matter of time before it needed to happen anyway." Paul had no idea what Alice was talking about, but whatever she meant paired with the desperation in his voice sprang Carlisle into action. He plunged the syringe into Mel's chest and pushed the venom inside. Since he knew she was close to being saved, he allowed himself to get a good look at her. Her skin had gone a purplish colour and her body looked slightly bloated. This was the look of a corpse. How could she look so…well, dead, yet she was moving?

She was writhing in pain. That was what hit Paul the hardest, and would continue to hurt him the most in the days that followed. She was going through a transformation to save her life, yet it ached for him to know how much pain she was in. He could feel some of her pain reflected inside of him, but he knew it wasn't nearly as bad as what she was going through. Her eyes were closed and she was clawing at the sheets on the bed. Her jaw was clamped tightly closed–he could tell she was fighting the urge to cry out.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, but didn't move in any response to it. He barely even registered that someone else was in the room with him. His eyes were trained on Mel.

"I'm sorry." It was Alice. "I don't even know what to–"

"Don't." He cut her off. "Is she going to be okay? Is it working?" He met Alice's eyes and pleaded with her through his own eyes. He needed to know that it was working and his efforts hadn't been wasted. He needed to know that he hadn't been too late to save her. He needed to know that he hadn't let Mel down.

She nodded. "Her heartbeat is stronger and it's picking up speed. It's working."

Relief coursed through Paul stronger than anything before. "Thank God."

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

He shook his head, turning his eyes back to Mel. "How long does it take?"

"Three days," she said. "I'll leave you alone with her. Just call if you need anything."

"I will," he said. "And…thank you."

Alice turned back to look at him just as she reached the doorway. "She means a lot to us, too, you know, we'd do anything to help her."

With that, Alice left the room and Paul was left alone with Mel. He grasped her hand, trying to ignore how cold it felt in his. He could see that the transformation was already working its magic on her. Her face had lost its scary purple tint, and was now ivory. She had always been pale–especially compared to his skin–but now she had an almost glow to her. The bloating in her face and body from drowning had decreased substantially as well.

She whimpered but still didn't open her eyes. Three days. It would take three days for her to come back to life, and even then she wouldn't really be alive. Paul hated that he had down this to her. He hated that this was what he had had to resort to to save her life. He was sure he'd have hell to pay when she woke up, but he tried not to linger on it for too long. _It's better than her being dead,_ he silently reminded himself.

"I'm so sorry, babe," he whispered, stroking a piece of hair away from her face. "I didn't want this to happen to you, but it was the only way I could save you. I know you're in pain–I can feel it–and I wish I could take it all for you, but I can't. I'm so sorry."

And now, it was time for Paul to continue playing the waiting game.


	55. Chapter 30: Burning

**AN: Gah! I don't know how I did that! **_**Here's **_**the right chapter. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 30: Burning**

_**Mel**_

I felt the syringe go through my chest.

I had been floating in a nice place–a nice, happy place where I wasn't hurt anymore. Death is peaceful, calming, and quiet. I had never thought that floating between life and death would be as calming as it was, yet it was oddly peaceful. I felt alone and isolated–but in a good way. I expected to see my life flash before my eyes, but I only saw two things–or rather I only saw two people. I saw my dad through my closed eyelids, gently beckoning me forward and almost welcoming me with open arms. The other person I saw behind my closed eyes was Paul, his face was twisted with grief and despair, and I felt my heart ache. I was leaving him behind.

But then, just I was about to let the darkness take me and go to my dad, I was dragged back into reality.

I felt Paul's hands on my arm and felt myself being dragged. I felt pressure on my chest but whatever the hell he was doing wasn't working. I felt something tight on my arm–oddly enough, I realized that it was my injured arm. I could remember feeling my stitches ripping when holding onto the cliff and idly wondered how much blood I had lost through this whole fiasco.

I was slipping in and out of consciousness and somehow registered that I was being lifted and carried away. I _thought_ I could hear voices but then it felt like I was flying before I could understand what the voices were saying. I briefly allowed the darkness to take me again, but then I heard Paul's broken plea to Carlisle to change me.

Change me? No, no, no, I had been completely at peace with myself and I was ready to die. I had been confident in knowing that I wouldn't have to suffer through any more pain. I had been ready let go.

I knew exactly what was happening around me. With random clearness, I knew that I was about to be turned into a vampire. I didn't want it. I wanted to tell Carlisle not to inject me with my mother's venom. I wanted to tell Paul how much I loved him, but that I needed to be let go. But no words would come–my voice wasn't working. I slipped back into the darkness where there wasn't any pain anymore and selfishly hoped that I slipped into it long enough for it to be too late to save me.

All too soon, I was in pain again. I felt the needle pierce my chest, and I had to try not to scream.

I felt the burning then.

It started off as just a dull warmth, but then it intensified. It was hotter than being squished between Paul, Jared, Sam, Jacob, and Embry all at once.

I felt a pang in my heart when I thought of Paul and Jared. My boys. My poor, poor boys. Was it selfish of me to think of them like that? Well, considering I had basically been on the brink of death and was now coming back from it, I tried not to allow myself to feel too guilty about it.

I wasn't able to think of them for too long because the heat was getting to be unbearable for me. It was like there was a fire burning inside of me, eating away at me from the inside out. I tried to move, I wasn't sure if I had accomplished in doing so, but it wasn't helping curb the pain. I felt like I should be screaming, but my lungs were on fire, making it almost impossible to even breathe, let alone make a sound. I grasped something, I didn't know what it was, but it was soft and it felt like it was holding onto me. I knew it was crazy, but my thoughts were becoming so erratic it felt like I was losing my grip on sanity.

"I'm so sorry, babe," I heard Paul whisper through the haze of the burning. I held on to his every word, relishing the sound of his voice, hoping it would keep me sane through this hell. "I didn't want this to happen to you, but it was the only way I could save you. I know you're in pain–I can feel it–and I wish I could take it all for you, but I can't. I'm so sorry."

That was the last thing I heard before I succumbed to the darkness. Even though I was deep into unconsciousness I could still feel the burning. This was absolute hell. Would this ever end?

I wasn't sure how long after that it was that I felt something change. I was still burning but my head was beginning to clear a bit. My thoughts became clearer. I could concentrate more and I could think clearly. I could hear people talking around me.

"How much longer?" asked a husky male voice that sounded absolutely heartbroken. There was something tugging inside me at the sound of his voice, as if I was being pulled toward it. Something was vaguely familiar about it but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Not long." A tinkling female voice answered. "I can see her much clearer now." This was a new voice as well, but there was also something familiar about it. Also, what she said comforted me in an odd way. She had basically told me that I wouldn't have to bear this hell much longer. I wasn't sure if I could trust her, but her words comforted me nonetheless.

Finally the burning stopped.

It started fading where it had begun–right at my heart. It was fading through my entire body. Coolness washed over my body in replace of the heat and tingles spread through my body just like the coolness had. It ended in the tips of my fingers. I flexed my fingers when the tingling sensation was completely gone. I worked all my joints, keeping my eyes closed, relishing the feeling of movement again.

"Mel?" the husky voice asked softly.

Was that my name? Mel? It sounded strange in my mind, yet it somehow fit. I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to open them yet. I was enjoying the feeling of moving my muscles too much. It felt so good to not be burning anymore. The whole time I had been exercising my muscles I realized I hadn't been breathing. How strange to realize such a thing. How strange to take my first breath and get a whiff of _everything_. I could tell I was in a room but I could also smell nature-like smells from outside. I could smell grass and flowers–carnations maybe? I didn't know how I knew that. It was as if as soon as I smelt it I understood what it was. I could also smell a woody, earthy smell, as if the bark of the trees were calling to me. As I took another deep breath I could smell a slight animal smell. It was like the scent of a canine, but a stronger, more powerful canine.

It scared and enticed me.

"Mel, it's okay, you can open your eyes," the tinkling voice said.

Finally, I opened my eyes and stared around myself in wonder.


	56. Chapter 31: Reborn

**Chapter 31: Reborn**

I could see absolutely everything. Everything was _so_ clear and pristine. I could even see the dust particles floating in the air. Everything was super bright and colourful, but there was something in the room that made me immediately go on guard.

There was another vampire in the room with me.

I didn't break eye contact with her as my body instinctively shifted into a defensive crouch. She was tiny, a lot smaller than I was, and I knew that if she was a danger to me I wouldn't have a problem in taking her. Her dark eyes widened in surprise at me.

I heard the growls erupting from my chest and the vampire actually looked scared of me. I was ignoring the burning in my throat. I was still too unsure of whether or not this vampire would try to attack me.

"Mel?" asked the husky voice I remembered from earlier. My head snapped in his direction and as I met his eyes, a blinding pain shot through my head. I felt myself crumple in pain as I held my head, gritting my teeth against crying out. I squeezed my eyes shut and what I saw behind my closed eyes terrified me.

I saw my life.

My human life flashed through my mind, and as the pain subsided, I blinked in recognition.

"Paul?" I whispered.

A smile broke across his face. "Alice said you wouldn't remember me."

"Alice!" I gasped, turning to face her again. She was standing completely still and not daring to move a muscle, probably in case I tried to attack her again. "Oh my God Alice I'm so sorry, I didn't know who you were."

Finally, her face broke out into a smile. "I didn't think you'd actually attack me."

"Why can I remember everything?" I asked. But as soon as I said it I realized that it was a lie. As I thought back throughout my human life there were dark spots. It was like big chunks of my life were missing. "Wait, no, I don't remember everything." I felt my brow furrow. "There's…there's something missing." I felt confused and it felt like my head was going to start hurting again.

Alice looked between Paul and me. "I think the imprint with you made her remember her life, but she's still missing pieces. Where's the other one?"

"Why can't I remember everything?" I demanded, more in frustration at myself than anything else.

"He isn't exactly pleased with me right now," Paul muttered.

I squeezed my temples, feeling a dull ache to my head. It was like as soon as I tried to remember every detail of a memory it'd go black, or if I even tried to think of something that was missing, it'd go black.

"Call him," Alice said. "Look at her; she's in pain because of this. Call him and explain it. Hell, he can probably feel how upset she is. He may even come on his own. He has permission from me to cross the border."

Paul pulled his phone out of his pocket and I heard him dialing. "Hey, Jared–"

"Jared!" I gasped, seeing his face in my memory. Somehow, I knew that that was who I needed. I didn't know why or how I needed him–I just knew I did. I threw a desperate look at Paul and practically begged, "Get him here, please."

"Jared, we need you," Paul said stiffly.

"What do you need me for?" Jared demanded. I was surprised I could hear him through the phone.

"Can't you feel she's upset?!"

"I thought that was just 'cause she was pissed at you for turning her," Jared said with a mocking lilt to his voice. Paul had been the one to turn me? I couldn't dwell on that thought for too long, because just as I thought of it the memory that was tugging at me was gone. I remembered sitting on a cliff with him and falling into the water, but after that I couldn't remember anything.

"Can you just get your ass down here?" Paul snapped. "Unless you want your impact on her life to be completely wiped out. She's missing parts of her _life_ Jared. You can think of me however you like right now but this isn't about me. It's about _her_."

"Please, get him here," I pleaded, head aching again.

"What do I have to do?" Jared sighed.

"Just come to the Cullens' house and look at her," Paul said.

"That's it? I just have to _look _at her?" Jared asked incredulously.

"That's it," Paul confirmed.

"I'm on my way," Jared said. I heard the line click off.

"Mel, Carlisle's going to come check on you after I take you to hunt," Alice said, drawing my attention back to her. She looked slightly worried, but didn't say anything. She was eyeing my position warily, as if this wasn't suitable vampire behaviour. "Is your throat hurting?"

I nodded. "It's burning."

"After Jared comes and goes I'll take you hunting," she promised. The prospect of hunting made my throat hurt even more but it also made me excited. It was like I could already feel the thrill of the hunt coursing through me.

As if on cue, Jared walked in the door. I braced myself before looking at him, getting ready for the pain. I met his eyes, ignoring the look of distaste on his face. It was just the same as before, but this time I was ready. I didn't crumple in pain this time; instead I just ground my teeth together and took it without breaking eye contact with him. Now there were no dark spots in my past. I remembered absolutely everything. It felt like a breath of fresh air and a weight off my shoulders.

I remembered everything–including my final moments as a human.

I turned on Paul, rage burning through my body.

"Can we have some time alone?" I asked through my clenched teeth, not even looking at Alice and Jared.

Alice said, "Of course." While Jared smirked and said, "Can't I watch?"

"Go!" I snapped. I heard the bedroom door close behind him and we were left alone.

"Don't be mad," he said, holding his hands up.

"Don't be _mad_?" I repeated incredulously. "I didn't want this!"

"Would you really rather be dead?" he asked.

"Yes!" I snapped. "Now you and the guys will hate me! You saw Jared's face when he came in here and saw me! He looked disgusted at what I am! You and the guys and maybe even Emily will all hate me now!"

"We will not hate you," he said fiercely. "I tried to save you!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have!"

He stood up and grasped my face in his hands, not allowing me to break eye contact with him. His hands were warm on my face and I could smell him. _He _had been that canine smell I had smelt before. I didn't know what Alice and the rest of the Cullens had always complained about. He smelled fine to me.

"Don't ever say that, Mel," he growled. "I was _not_ just going to let you die. And this was my last resort. If there had been anything else that I could have done I would've."

"Promise?" I asked quietly.

A smile quirked at his lips. "Yes, I promise." He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and gently asked, "So you aren't mad at me?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Mood swing, I guess."

"Alice said all you'd be able to think about would be blood," he said. At his words I stiffened. Just the mention of blood made my throat burn insanely. He noticed and said, "I'll get Alice. I have to go anyway, Sam needs me."

"Thanks. You better go before Sam tries to beat me up."

He chuckled. "Well, you're probably stronger than him now. I'm sure you could take him."

"Good." I grinned wickedly. He left the room and a few moments later Alice reappeared, crinkling her nose. I rolled my eyes playfully. "Really?"

She nodded. "He stinks! Didn't it bother you?"

I shook my head. "He didn't smell nearly as bad as you made me think he would. Neither did Jared."

"Probably the imprints," she said. "Speaking of which, I told Carlisle about what happened when you looked at them. He wants to talk to you about it."

"Can we go hunting first?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah, he told me to get that over with first so you'd be able to concentrate only on his questions," she explained. "Come on." I hesitated. I hadn't moved since earlier, and that hadn't really been _me_. Instinct had taken over last time and I hadn't been in control. This time I was hopefully going to be one-hundred percent in control.

I realized that Alice was staring at me with an eyebrow cocked.

"It's just…I don't…" I trailed off. I didn't even know what I was trying to say.

"What? Do you need Emmett to come up here and carry you?" she teased. "You know he'd never let you live that one down." I rolled my eyes, but still didn't move. She huffed out a breath. "Just take it slow, okay? Kick your legs over the side of the bed, and then stand up."

I did what she said and was oddly surprised that I hadn't wobbled on my feet, but then I remembered that I would have perfect balance.

She grinned at me. "See? It isn't that hard. Now take a couple steps."

I slowly walked closer to her. My motions were much more fluid now. I felt like I could be graceful just standing still. Even though I wasn't even remotely close to getting used to this, I briefly allowed instinct to take over and it allowed me to walk fluidly. I met Alice's dark eyes and grinned. "This is so cool!"

"Come on, let's go hunting."


	57. Epilogue: Powers

**Last chapter of New Moon! "Eclipse" is WILD.**

**Epilogue: Chapter 32: Powers**

"You want me to jump?" I asked, peeking out the open window that Alice had pulled me to. It looked high–_really_ high.

She nodded. "Well, we could go through the front door, but Emmett already has jokes lined up for you. Plus, he can't wait to wrestle with you. His exact words were, 'if she could take a werewolf while she was human, I wonder how she'll do against me now.'"

Her words reminded me that before I had…well _died,_ my arm had had stitches. I looked down at what had been my injured arm to see that the stiches were completely gone. The scarring was almost invisible. The scars were now just thin white lines on my arm.

Alice grasped my arm and examined it, muttering, "This is strange…very, very strange."

"Why?"

"The only thing that can mark a vampire's skin like that is our venom," she said. "You _definitely_ need to talk to Carlisle. Let's hurry up." I peeked back out the window hesitantly. "Are you kidding me?" she huffed. I met her eyes and she rolled her eyes. "Mel, it's easy. Just hop up onto the ledge and step off. Watch, I'll show you." She stepped onto the window ledge and smiled as she took a step off. She landed with a very dull thud and looked up at me. "See? I'm fine."

I took a deep breath and stood on the window sill. I looked down at myself and for the first time realized what Alice had dressed me in. I had dark, almost black, skin tight jeans on, a blood-red blouse and sky high stiletto heels. They were worse than the ones she had put me in for prom. I reached down, taking the shoes off, and hurled them at Alice's head. She laughed as she caught them mid-air, but then looked up at me expectantly.

I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut as I stepped off the window ledge. My hair flew above my head and the wind blew gently against my face. Surprisingly, it was over way too quickly.

Alice grinned at me. "That was pretty graceful. You thirsty?"

I nodded, throat burning even more intensely at her words. She led me into the forest and slowly broke into a run. I had no trouble keeping up with her, and I didn't worry about hitting any trees. It was almost as if the trees were bending out of my way as I ran past them. I felt like I could run straight for one and it would just bend out of my path. We stopped running in a clearing and she turned to me.

"What do you smell?"

_Everything,_ I wanted to say as I took a deep breath through my nose. I could smell absolutely everything around me. I could smell the sweet scent of the earth and the flowers. I could smell water–and not just from the rain, but it was like the river itself had a scent. I could smell the air. It was a scent I couldn't even describe, but I knew it was a cool and clean scent–even though the air was probably super polluted–it smelled clean, just like the water had. I could also smell something that was almost _warm_, as if there was a bonfire somewhere, yet I somehow knew nothing near me was burning.

But most of all, I could smell the sweet, succulent scent of blood. The smell of it sent my throat into a frenzy. I gave Alice a wide-eyed look and she grinned at me. "You smell it don't you?" I nodded. "Close your eyes and concentrate. Listen."

I did as she said and listened closely to the sounds around me. I could hear birds chirping and I could hear frogs croaking and I could hear the rush of the river. I could even hear Emmett's booming laughter coming from the house.

But, I could also hear the sound of hooves pounding against the ground, and from that same direction I could hear the thumps of a heartbeat.

"That way?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed and pointing to the west.

"Yep," Alice said. I could hear the smile in her voice and she grabbed my hand, and my eyes flew open, and then we were running through the forest. I let my ears and nose guide me, and as we silently ran into another clearing, I latched onto an elk and sunk my teeth into it, draining it of its blood. The blood poured down my throat and soothed it. It almost had a cooling sensation to it.

As I tossed the carcass aside, I noticed that Alice had done the same thing as me, her eyes were now a golden colour and it reminded me that mine were probably ruby red.

"Are you still thirsty?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "It was a pretty big deer. I'm fine now."

"Good," she said. "We should get back to the house. I have some things for you and Carlisle really needs to talk to you. Wanna race?"

I grinned wickedly. "You're on."

We took off at the same time, and again, it felt like the trees were bending out of the way for me. It also felt like the air was pushing me forward, helping me along the way. I beat Alice to the front door of the house, but not by much.

"You should race Edward," she said. "He's the fastest of us."

"And I'm waiting to wrestle you, kid!" boomed Emmett's voice from behind me. "Hey, Alice, how long did it take her to trip over her own feet?"

"You shouldn't tease her too much, Em," Alice warned lightly. "She took down an elk all on her own."

"If I recall, you couldn't handle a bear," I teased.

"Oh, those are fighting words," he said, seeming unable to wipe the smile off his face. "Come on; let me teach you a lesson."

"Not yet!" Alice said. "Carlisle needs to talk to her first."

Emmett pouted at her and I said, "I don't think it would take much time for me to kick his ass, Alice."

She chuckled but said, "No, he's a sore loser so knowing him he'll want about eight rematches and Carlisle has to go to work soon. Come on."

"Sorry Emmett," I teased. "Maybe later. Maybe you should practise or something."

I followed Alice into the Cullens' house where Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Jasper were waiting for me. Rosalie and Esme came right for me, hugging me and asking me how I was feeling.

"I'm fine," I said, smiling widely at them. "Better than fine, actually."

"I thought we had lost you," Rosalie said grimly. "When he brought you here…"

I held my hand up. "I don't even want to know how awful that was for you–for _all_ of you."

Carlisle walked towards me. "Come sit, let's talk." He led me to the couch and sat down. I stiffly sat down beside him–not because I was uncomfortable or anything, but simply because it felt so unnatural. Carlisle chuckled and said, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. I know it feels odd at first, but you need to learn to fidget and sit so humans don't get suspicious."

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember when Alice and Rosalie would have to pretend they were uncomfortable when I was human."

"Speaking of which," he began. "You remember your human life."

I knew this was coming. I nodded and said, "Yeah, Alice told you what happened right?"

He nodded. "She did, but I wanted to hear it from you."

"Well," I began. "Right when I woke up I didn't remember who Alice was, but then when I saw Paul it was like I remembered almost everything, but there were still dark spots. So then Paul called Jared and then when I saw him I remembered _everything_."

"That's…" Carlisle trailed off.

"I know, it never happens," I said, smiling weakly.

"It's probably because of the imprints," he said. "I've never encountered anything like this before. Maybe the imprints allowed you to retain some hold on your humanity. Was there anything different that happened? Something that was inexplicable? Something that may have triggered a memory?"

I thought back and opened my mouth to say that there hadn't been anything, but then stopped. "There was, actually. Before I "woke up" I heard Paul and Alice talking. When Paul spoke it felt like I was being pulled towards him and his voice was familiar. It was the same with Alice's voice. Her voice was familiar too, but I couldn't tell where it was from."

Carlisle's brow furrowed, but before he could say something, Alice cut in. "Her arm. Look at her arm."

I knew what Alice meant so I held out my previously injured arm to Carlisle and his face clouded with confusion. He gently held my arm and looked at it, running a finger along one of the white lines of my scars. "That…that shouldn't happen."

"I know," I said immediately. "Alice told me. Do you know what's…?"

"No," he said. "This has never happened before."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I figured that much."

"We'll do some research for you," Esme said, coming to me and placing a hand on my thigh.

"Come on, Mel, let me take you upstairs. I have to give you some things," Alice said.

"Where's Emmett?" Jasper asked, smiling tugging at his lips. "Did you already beat him in a wrestling match?"

"Ha! She thinks she can take me," Emmett boomed coming back into the house. Alice pulled me away from him before I could say anything back to him.

She pulled me into what was normally my bedroom when I stayed here and I looked around, eyes widening. There was blood stained on the white sheets of the bed. There was such a stark contrast between the scarlet of the blood against the ivory of the sheets. I expected the blood to make my throat burn like the blood of the elk had earlier, but it didn't.

"It's old blood," Alice said softly. "That's why it isn't making you thirsty."

"It's…" I trailed off.

"Yeah, it is," she said sympathetically. "I meant to clean it but Paul didn't understand that it was safe to move you. He barely let me move you so I could get you dressed."

"How bad was it?" I whispered.

"It looked worse than it was," she said. "Almost all the stitches in your arm had ripped and there was blood everywhere. Paul had wrapped his shirt around it to try and stop it from bleeding, but it didn't do much good. And…well you _did_ drown. So you can imagine how you would've looked from that. I've never seen anyone look as distressed as Paul did that day. We were all scared we lost you, Mel."

"I don't even know how I fell," I said quietly. "I put you guys through so much…"

She put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "You're fine now." She pushed me into a chair and held up a large, black bag, shaking it slightly. "This is for you."

"It's a nice bag," I said, catching it as she tossed it at me.

She rolled her eyes. "Not the bag itself–that's Rosalie's and though she _does_ like you, she'd probably kill me if I gave it to you. It's what's inside that's yours."

I reached inside and pulled out two round shallow, plastic spheres that were attached to one another. "Um…thanks?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Contacts. Your eyes are red–as you probably guessed–and we need something to cover that up. We bought some that matched your eye colour as best they could. They aren't exactly the same, but they'll do. They'll last about three hours before the venom in your eyes dissolves them. There's a ton of boxes in the bag for you. You'll have to wear them even after your eyes turn golden and you're still in school–otherwise people would notice." I rooted through the bag seeing over a hundred boxes in it. There was also an antique looking handheld brass mirror in it. I held it without looking in the glass and looked at Alice hesitantly. "That's Rosalie's too. It's okay, you can look in it. If I had had it _my _way, the first thing you would've done when you woke up was look at yourself."

I took a deep breath before holding the mirror up in front of my face and gasped in shock. My eyes were the first thing that stood out to me. They were bright, ruby red, and almost hypnotic. My eyes seemed bigger, my lashes seemed darker and longer, and my lips looked fuller. My skin was flawless and ivory coloured.

I looked gorgeous. It wasn't like my face structure had changed all that much, but it was like any imperfections I had had as a human were gone. My nose looked a bit straighter, cheekbones a bit higher, teeth whiter and straighter.

"You're lucky," Alice said. "You remember what you looked like as a human. You can actually see all the differences. All I've ever known is this face."

"Well, it's a pretty good face you're stuck with," I said, smiling widely at her.

She grinned at me and said, "I wonder what your power is–or if you have one."

"I hope I have one," I muttered. "I need to have some advantage against Emmett."

She laughed. "For the first few months you'll be _a lot_ stronger than he is." She hesitated and then said, "Mel…what did you smell when we were outside?"

"What?"

"I have a feeling about something," she said, furrowing her brow. It was the same way she scrunched her face up when she was having a vision.

"I could smell everything," I said, letting what my gut was telling me speak for me. "It was weird. I could smell the earth, the air–I could even smell the water. Oh, it also felt like I could smell a bonfire somewhere, but I knew there wasn't one close to us."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Was there anything else that was _different_?"

"The trees," I said, thinking back. "When we were running it was like they were moving out of my way."

Alice's smile grew wider. "Mel, I think I know what your power is."

"What?!"

"I think you can control the elements!" she squealed excitedly.


	58. Chapter 1: Adjusting

**Imprinted: Eclipse**

**Chapter 1: Adjusting**

I was lying in bed beside Paul's sleeping figure. I was still trying to adjust to this life. It was strange not sleeping anymore. I just never got tired and I never felt the need to sleep. It felt like I was in a strange dream–or as if I was still dead and this was some weird alternate universe.

I knew it wasn't a dream at all. I knew that I had actually died and that I actually had been turned into a vampire.

I hadn't tested out my powers any more. Yeah, when I went hunting I could still smell all the same things, and now that I was I aware of my affiliation with the elements it was like I could sense their presence inside of me. Alice and Carlisle had both told me that I should try to control them and test my boundaries, but I was reluctant. I didn't want to admit it, but I was nervous. I didn't know why I was so nervous about using my powers, but I was. What if I set the entire forest on fire? Or caused a flood in the Cullens' house? Or what if I caused a tornado in Paul's living room or something?

I rolled onto my side so I was facing Paul. Every time I looked at him it felt like I was seeing him with new eyes, yet at the same time seeing him was like looking at someone I had known my entire life. It felt like as a human I had never seen him clearly. I could see every one of features so much more clearly now. It was like I had never been able to fully see how handsome he really was. His Quileute ancestry was clear in his features, especially in his strong jaw, high cheekbones and his nose that was just slightly off centre and had the smallest of bumps on it at the bridge from one time–or many–that he had had his nose broken by one of his pack brothers.

I pushed a stray piece of hair away from his face. His hair had grown a bit longer than the short crop he normally kept it at. My hand brushed against his skin briefly and his eyes flickered open. It bothered me more than I was willing to admit that my skin was so cool against his that I could literally wake him up just from a slight touch. He groggily blinked a few times as if trying to clear his head.

"Mel?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "Are you okay?"

I smiled in spite of myself. "I'm not nearly as breakable anymore. I'm fine. But I probably should get going. I have school today."

He tightened an arm around me. "I'm not ready to let go of you."

I chuckled. "Well you're going to have to. I've already missed enough school."

He rolled his eyes. "After everything that's happened to you over the past couple days and all you're worried about is school."

"I need to keep my grades up for college!" I scoffed.

"Where are you thinking of going?" he asked, trying to mask how tense he was about the subject. I knew he was worried I wanted to move far away for school–which was a very, very tempting possibility. I hadn't told anyone this but I wanted to get out of Washington. Yeah, it was selfish, but I was sick of it here. I wanted to go far, far away from here.

But I couldn't. I couldn't leave Paul behind. He (and Jared) would go crazy worrying about me. How could I do that to either of them? That'd just give Sam another reason not to like me.

I hesitated. "I'm not sure yet. I haven't done much looking. Anyway, go back to sleep. I'll swing by later."

He pecked me on my cheek before rolling over and basically instantly falling back to sleep, and I slipped out of bed and out of the apartment. I got into my car and leaned against the seat, closing my eyes and exhaling deeply. I had barely been alone since I had been changed. Alice kept a very close eye on me and whenever I wasn't with her, I was with Paul. I hadn't been back to school yet–tomorrow would be my first day back since I had been changed. To say I was nervous was an understatement.

Alice had changed all her classes to fit my schedule, but the only one she couldn't change was gym. Edward had gladly changed his Spanish class to my gym class. I wasn't exactly annoyed about it or anything, it just made me feel bad that they had felt the need to do that for me.

So far I had shown really good self-control. Alice had taken me to a mall in Seattle to test me out and I had been fine. I had gotten a bit antsy as we walked past a nail salon and the manicurist clipped a hangnail which drew blood, but other than that I had been fine.

Being around Bella, however, was a completely different story.

The shock when she found out what I was was priceless. She had known that the Cullens and I were close, and I'm sure she knew that I knew about the wolves because of my relationship with Paul, but as far as I knew she hadn't known that I knew about the Cullens.

So, one day, when I was at the Cullen house and she came over to find me talking to Rosalie with bright red eyes, she practically fainted. Alice and Edward explained everything to her while I tried to talk as little as possible so I wouldn't have to breathe. As soon as she had walked into the house her scent hit me like a wrecking ball and I had wanted to run after Rosalie as she stomped out the garage.

Bella smelled _so good_. I didn't know how I'd manage to sit near her in the cafeteria tomorrow at school. Alice had taught me how to try and harness the temptation, but I knew it'd still be hard to do.

I wished that I could just stay home with Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Esme. I knew Alice wouldn't let me if I asked her, so I decided to just enjoy the time I had alone and take the long way back.

When I drove up the long driveway, Emmett was on the front porch waiting for me, grinning widely. I exhaled deeply–I knew where this was going to go. I got out of my car and slowly walked up to him. I could hear the piano being played softly–Alice. I recognized the way she played because she wasn't as serious about it as Edward was. I could also hear Jasper and Edward arguing over a chess game they had been playing and Rosalie banging around in the garage. Emmett looked up at me, grin never leaving his face.

"What would you like?" I asked.

"I want to wrestle," he said.

The piano playing stopped, Edward and Jasper fell silent, and Rosalie stopped whatever she was doing in the garage.

"Why don't you wrestle Jasper?"

"He's busy."

"Edward?"

"He always knows what I'm gonna do," he whined. "Come on, with you it'd actually be a fair fight for once. Please?"

"If I do it will you stop bothering me about it?"

"Yes!"

"Fine!"

I stomped back down the stairs and waited for him to approach me. He got up slowly and as he neared me, Alice, Jasper, Edward and Rosalie gathered on the porch. Edward was smirking, probably hearing whatever plan Emmett had for me in his head. Alice was grinning–she could probably see who was going to win. While Jasper and Rosalie just looked eager, waiting to see how it'd play out.

Emmett grinned at me and feigned cracking his knuckles. "You're going down, chica."

"In your dreams."

Emmett ran at me and I didn't flinch. I grasped his arm just as he was about to try and attack me and twisted it. His face contorted in pain and he fell to the ground. "Are you done now?"

"Yes," he gasped.

"Good," I said, turning away from him and slowly walking back towards the house. I had a feeling he wasn't quite done yet, and sure enough, I heard him getting to his feet and running toward me. Right at the last moment I turned and kicked him square in the chest, and he flew into a tree, which sent deep cracks running through it from the impact. I had tried to concentrate on the tree to try and stop it from getting too damaged, and I presumed it worked since the trunk didn't snap on impact.

"That's what you get for trying to sneak up on me," I said, grinning wickedly.

He pulled himself off the forest floor and grimaced at me. "Next time you're going down, little girl."

"Maybe next time we should arm wrestle instead, to make it easier on you?"

At this point, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie and Edward were doubled over in laughter. It wasn't very often that someone got the better of Emmett just by their strength. Normally it took the help of some mental power to beat Emmett.

Alice nudged me as I walked past her, grinning. "You didn't even use your powers for that."

I grinned at her. "I didn't need to, he's a wimp."

She followed me into the house and warily cocked an eyebrow at me. "Are you ready for today?"

I hesitated. "I think so."

"Edward and I will be there for you all day, so you don't have to worry."

Not long after, I was waiting in Edward's car. I had wanted to drive my own car, but Alice wouldn't let me. She had said that knowing me, I'd try to make a quick escape to get out of going to school if I drove myself.

"You can sit in the front," Alice said as she slid into the driver's seat.

"Edward's not coming?"

She shook her head and I climbed over the middle console to get into the front passenger seat. "He's driving Bella to school."

"Charlie's letting him?"

She chuckled. "Charlie has a few things to say to Edward this morning."

"Oh boy, I almost feel bad for him."

She grinned. "I don't. All Charlie's been doing when he sees Edward is glower. This is an improvement."

As Alice drove I nervously gripped one of the boxes I had brought with me in my hands. I knew that I shouldn't be this nervous about going back to school. I didn't look _that_ much different from when I was human–yeah, my appearance had improved drastically, but it wasn't like I was unrecognizable. Alice had said that people probably wouldn't even notice a difference.

What I was mostly nervous about was being in a building full of humans. I had been fine in the mall but I didn't have anything personal against anyone in the mall. I had had numerous mood swings since I had been turned and I was nervous that if someone like Jessica said one thing to annoy me enough I would snap at her.

"You'll be fine," Alice said soothingly as she pulled into a parking spot. "I promise, everything will be okay, we'll be here for you all day. Put your contacts in." I did as she said, and immediately noticed the film clouding my vision. I blinked a few times, adjusting to it and then looked at her, seeking her approval. "They look almost exactly the same as your old colour. I don't think anyone will notice."

"I hope you're right," I mumbled, fighting the urge to rub at my eyes.

As we walked into the school, it felt like all eyes were on me. I knew it was completely irrational, but it just felt like every single person in the school was staring at me. It felt like I was the new kid in class who had no idea what to do. My first class of the day was gym, and to say I was nervous about it was an understatement. I was nervous about changing in front of the rest of the girls. I hovered outside the change-room for as long as I could before I had to go in. there were still a few girls in it, so I went straight for a corner and began to change my clothes. Nobody seemed to be paying attention to me.

Until I straightened and turned around to see Jessica and Lauren staring wide-eyed at me.

"What?" I asked, trying to keep calm.

"Nothing," Jessica said too quickly.

"You've just…changed," Lauren said.

I shrugged as I turned back around to put my things away. When I turned back around they were still there, so I kept my head down and pushed past them as I left the change-room. The first thing I noticed when I entered the gym was Edward lounging on a bench–in his normal clothes. I ground my teeth together. _Of course_ he had weaseled his way out of wearing gym clothes. Edward and I were going to be partners today and we were playing badminton. I was tempted to play to my full power, but Alice had warned me that that wouldn't be the smartest idea.

Edward and I stood on either side of a net in the back corner of the gym and began hitting the ball to one another lightly. At one point I accidentally hit it too hard and it whacked him in the chest, which got me an eye roll from him and a look of surprise from Coach Clapp.

_Is Emmett alright after this morning?_ I asked mentally, unable to wipe the grin off my face.

Edward smirked and very quietly said, "He was complaining about it to me before I left. He's going to ask you for a rematch when you get home."

I rolled my eyes. _He's such a baby. _

"Oh, I know," he said. "I've had to deal with him for a _long_ time."

Edward and I continued having our private conversation, with no one realizing that we were actually speaking to each other. After gym class the day surprisingly went by quickly.

All in all, my first school day as a vampire had gone pretty well.


	59. Chapter 2: Fired

**Chapter 2: Fired**

The weekend following my first day of school was my first day of work since I had been turned. Nervous knotted in my stomach as I pulled into the parking lot and put my contacts in. I had to mentally chant, _you can do this_, to myself to keep calm. I forced myself out of my car and went into the store.

Johnny was sitting at his desk with his back to me in his office, which I had to go through to get to the main part of the store and I tried to sneak past him without saying anything to him, but just as I was about to leave his office he swiveled around in his chair and said, "What, no hello? I didn't even hear you come in."

I didn't turn. "Hey Johnny."

"How have you been?" he asked. "I'm sorry I haven't scheduled you to work lately, things have just been hectic."

"I've been fine," I said, still not turning. "How have you been?"

"Good," he said. He hesitated for a moment and then said, "You sound different, you alright?"

"I should get to work," I said with a shrug. I heard him stand up, but I didn't hear him come up behind me and spin me around. He caught me off guard, so he succeeded in turning me. With him this close to me I could smell his blood and hear his heart thudding in his chest. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at me.

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing!" I said, hearing how high pitched my voice sounded. I sounded _guilty_ and I knew he heard it in my voice.

"What did _they _do to you?" he asked in a surprisingly angry voice.

"Who?!"

"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid, Mel," he said fiercely. "I'm related to the Clearwaters. I know all the stories."

I hesitated, and then figured that since he knew all the myths there was no use lying to him about it. "I was dying–well actually I was already basically dead. Nothing else would have saved me."

"I'm going to have to fire you."

"What?! Johnny, come on, that's not fair! I'm still _me!_ I haven't changed!"

"It's not because of me!" he said. "I can see that you're still you, _I _know that, but the people down here…they grew up hearing these stories. If they see you, they'll know."

I wanted to get angry. I wanted to stomp around his office and trash the place. But I knew he was right. Everybody on the res knew the stories, but nobody knew they were actually true. If anybody saw me, they'd know right away what I was.

"I'll mail you your last paycheck sometime this week, okay?" he said.

I took a deep breath. "Yeah…that's fine. Thanks."

"Mel, I really am sorry, but I can't let something like this ruin my business," he said. "If you ever–"

"If I ever _what_?" I asked. "If I ever change back? That's not going to happen. You know that as well as I do. I understand, Johnny, I really do. I'll be fine."

We said our goodbyes and I trudged out of his office and back to my car, but of course, since my day just had to get worse, I was faced with an obstacle leaning against my car.

Sam was leaning against the driver's door.

I straightened my shoulders and walked towards him, keeping my guard up. I had no idea what Sam was doing here and I had no idea how to gauge what he was going to say.

"Hello Melanie," he said stiffly.

"Sam," I said curtly.

"So, I see what Paul and Jared reported to me is true."

"Yes."

"Then we have a bit of a problem, don't we?"

My eyes narrowed. "And what might that be?"

"You are living with the Cullens majority of the time and you were turned by a Cullen. You know about the treaty with the Cullens, or did you forget about that?" he said.

"In case you didn't know, I've been staying with Paul for as long as I can, so majority of my time is actually with him," I began. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Also, I wasn't turned by a Cullen. Yeah, Carlisle did the act of putting the venom in me, but it wasn't his venom."

"Then whose was it?"

"My mother's." Sam didn't say anything to that and I cocked my head curiously at him. "Why do you hate me, Sam?"

"I don't," he said gruffly without missing a beat.

I rolled my eyes. "It's obvious you have issues with me."

"You tore my pack apart," he said, looking away from me. "You have no idea how bad it got between them. It's _still _tense between them. I can't just forget that."

"That wasn't my fault! Try putting yourself in my shoes and you'll see how hard it was!"

"I _was_ in your shoes," he snapped, turning back towards me. His eyes widened as if he hadn't meant to say what he had and abruptly turned on his wheel and started to walk away.

"I'm sorry," I said before he got too far away from me. He stopped, but didn't turn. "I know that was hard for you…and I know you didn't mean to let that slip. But how you felt throughout that whole thing? That's how it is with Paul, Jared and I."

"Jared's upset," Sam said gruffly, still not turning.

"I know."

"Go talk to him."

A short, humourless laugh escaped from me. "He doesn't want to talk to me."

"Yes he does," Sam said. "Trust me, he does." And without another word he jogged off into the forest. I got into my car and started it. For a few moments I just sat there, deliberating. I didn't want to go see Jared. I was sure that if I went there, it'd just cause more drama. It would either give Sam another reason not to like me, or give Paul and Jared another reason not to like each other.

But, Sam's words floated around my head. _He's upset. Go talk to him._ So, even though I hated myself for it, I found myself driving to his house. Sam had told me to go see him, so I was sure he'd be home. As I pulled into the driveway, I saw his car in the driveway. I knew that didn't mean anything. He could be out patrolling with the guys, but I was pretty sure Paul was running at the moment so it was likely that Jared was home.

I got out of my car and walked to the front door, nervousness knotting in my stomach. I hadn't seen him since the day I had been turned and remembering the look of distaste on his face at the sight of me made me want to run back to my car and drive to the Cullens' house. I took a deep breath and knocked on his door, listening for his footsteps.

I heard his heartbeat and breathing before I heard him walking to the door. He opened the door and I saw his eyes widen in surprise, then saw his face twist slightly–and I wasn't sure if it was in disgust or something else. I studied his face silently. He looked rough. There were deep shadows under his eyes and stubble lining his chin and jawline.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.

"I came to talk to you," I said. "Can I come in?"

He hesitated for a split second, but then stepped out of my way. I stepped into his house to see–well, a mess. Empty food containers littered the floor, clothes were strewn about, and in the sink in the kitchen was a stack of plates.

"Why haven't you been taking care of yourself?" I asked softly. "I can tell you haven't been sleeping."

"I think you know why," he said with a hardness in his voice that I didn't like. I turned and met his eyes. His entire face was guarded, as if he had forced himself to keep his face composed in a tight mask.

"Sam told me you're upset," I said.

"Well you try going through what I went through," he said roughly, sitting down on his couch.

I sat down beside him and gently asked, "What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"When I…when I died," I said, finding it hard to get the words out of my mouth.

"Hasn't Paul told you?"

"I've been too afraid to ask."

He met my eyes again, and the tight mask broke. His face changed from guarded to vulnerable. "It was the worst thing I've ever felt in my life. I could feel that you were basically gone. I think you still had a bit of life in you, but other than that you were completely gone. You had slipped away from me. When I first started feeling it, I just started running. I just let my feet guide me and then I ended up at the beach. I saw Paul getting ready to take you to the Cullens…and I knew you wouldn't want that. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. For the next three days I didn't know if you'd come out of it alive. For those three days it felt like I was coming apart–I thought that meant it was too late."

"But I'm fine now," I said. "That doesn't explain why you're still not okay."

"I wasn't there to help you," he said tightly. "It's my job to protect you and keep you safe–I know it's Paul's job too, and he did everything he could to help you–but do you have any idea what it's like to feel useless like that? If he hadn't been there…it's still bothering me. Every time I try to sleep, all those feelings come back. That…that anxiety that I can't help you."

"But you did help me," I reminded him. "You helped me remember my life, remember?"

"But you were still dead," he insisted, looking away from me. "I couldn't help you from that. I was too late."

"Jared, I think we both know that even if you had been there the outcome would've been the same. I was gone by the time Paul pulled me out of the water."

"I felt hopeless," he said. "It was like you had been ripped away from me."

"Jared, look at me," I said. He slowly turned and met my eyes again. "I'm still _me_ and I'm okay. _I _haven't changed and you know that. Now get some sleep and clean yourself up, okay? You don't have to worry anymore."

I stood up and he stood up with me. I turned to leave, but from behind me, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him, turning me around as he did it. He held me tight against his chest.

"I'm glad you're still you," he whispered. "If you were a bloodthirsty monster like I thought you would be…I don't know if I'd be able to handle it."

I smiled in spite of myself. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm just prettier now with different colour eyes. No biggie."

"Wow you really have changed," he said. "If I had said that when you were human, you would've bitten my head off for it."

"I could take you in a fight," I said. "I took Emmett down today."

He held me at arm's length and studied my face with a cocked eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"I think he's still in pain because of it." I grinned.

He chuckled. "Damn, you must be good."

"Get some sleep," I said sternly, detaching myself from him. "Promise me you'll sleep?"

"I promise," he said. He hugged me once more before letting go of me and letting me leave. I went out to my car and headed to Paul's apartment. That talk with Jared had really opened my eyes and I needed Paul.

I pulled into my usual spot and went up to his apartment and went inside. It was unsurprisingly empty–he was probably still out with Sam. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before he came home. I went into the bedroom, needing something to remind me that he was close. I pulled one of his sweaters out of his dresser and wrapped myself up in it and curled onto his bed.

I didn't know how long after that it was that I heard the front door open and close. I hoped he'd come straight into the bedroom, because I _really _didn't want to move. I didn't even know if he knew that I was here or not, but he'd figure it out soon enough. Moments later I heard his footsteps approaching the bedroom, and his sharp intake of breath as he saw me lying in his bed.

I rolled over so I was facing him as he slid into bed beside me. He looked at me worriedly and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I went to see Jared today," I said, not wanting to lie about it. I didn't give him time to react before saying, "I asked him about what it was like when I…when I died. And I was wondering what it was like for you."

He took a deep breath. "It was bad. I was barely able to keep going and try to save you. I could feel your presence slipping away from me." He paused and then asked, "Did I ever tell you one of the legends behind imprints?"

"Er–that depends on which one you mean," I said. "I think you've told me a couple."

"Well, legend has it that when one member of an imprint dies, part of his or her spirit goes into the other person," he said. "That way the one who's still alive will always have part of that person with them." He took my hand and placed it on his chest. "I felt that happen when you fell in the water, and that's what scared me the most. I'm pretty sure Jared felt it too, that's how he knew where to run to. I knew I'd be too late no matter what I did. And then I thought of taking you to the Cullens' place–I was so desperate to save you."

I was silent as I mulled this over and finally said, "So now there's a piece of my spirit inside both you and Jared?"

He chuckled. "There always has been, that's what imprinting is about, but this was…this was different. It wasn't like you were holding me together anymore, it felt like I was coming apart, but I could still feel that you were there with me."

I flung my arms around him and held on to him tightly. "God, I can't believe what I put you through."

"It was an accident," he said soothingly against my hair.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I could've held on for longer. I let go, Paul, I let go of the edge. _I _made the decision to let go."

"Mel, listen to me," he grasped my face and forced me to meet his eyes. "Do not blame yourself for this. Do not say that you could've held on for longer. We both know that you couldn't have. Your stitches were torn by the time you feel. That would've been painful enough on its own, but trying to hold onto the edge of a cliff with torn stitches? Come on, Mel, you know as well as I do that you didn't have a choice but to let go."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I mumbled. My phone rang and I checked the caller ID. Alice. "Hello?" I asked, answering it.

"Mel, can you come home please?" she asked with a hint of urgency in her tone.

"Yeah, of course, what's wrong?"

"Just…just come home," she said.

Nervousness knotted in my stomach. "Okay, see you soon." The line went dead and I gave my phone a weird look before putting it back in my pocket. "I have to go, Alice needs me."

"Alright, will you come by later?"

"Maybe," I said, but my mind was on other things. Alice had sounded worried on the phone. Alice rarely sounded worried unless it was something serious that was happen. Paul kissed me on the cheek and I got out of bed with his sweater still wrapped tight around me.

I heard him chuckle. "Taking that with you?"

I grinned. "Yup."

"I thought vampires didn't get cold."

"We don't," I said, and left the apartment. I walked down to my car and drove to the Cullen house. I pulled into the garage and went inside to see that only Alice was home. She regarded me from the kitchen table with a guarded expression on her face. Her mouth was a tight line and she didn't say anything or move when I had come in.

"What's–" I was cut off by her flinging a newspaper at me. I caught it and looked at it. The headline read:

DEATH TOLL ON THE RISE

POLICE FEAR GANG ACTIVITY

I scanned the article. People were being found dead and going missing in Seattle. Police had said that the attacks were almost identical to animal attacks, but they still feared that it had been caused by gangs.

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked.

"Have you been in Seattle?" she demanded.


	60. Chapter 3: Interrogation

**Chapter 3: Interrogation **

"Alice, you think…you think _I _caused this?!" I sputtered. Her silence was all the answer I needed as she scrutinized me with narrowed eyes. "You are always with me! You'd see if I was planning on going to Seattle and Edward would be able to read my mind!"

"Where have you been all afternoon?" she asked with a tight set to her jaw.

I hesitated and she noticed. She cocked an eyebrow at me and her scowl deepened. "I was scheduled to work but Johnny, knowing about the Quileute legends, had to fire me because he knew what I was right when he saw me and he said that the people in La Push would know too and couldn't afford to lose any more business. So then I…" I trailed off and cleared my throat, feeling embarrassment creep up my neck. "I went to go visit Jared and we talked some things over, and then I went to go see Paul."

Her face cleared and I could practically see the tension slide off her shoulders. "I thought you were using the elements to block me out or something because I couldn't see you."

"I don't even know if I can do that or how I would," I muttered, looking away from her.

"You'll figure it out," she said. "We can go outside later on and test out your skills."

"Great," I muttered.

"You'll be okay," she said sympathetically. "When I was first turned I had no one to help me.

"What if I set the entire forest on fire?"

"Then you can put it out with the element of water," she said smugly. "You'll also need to learn to fight. Whatever's happening in Seattle, it isn't human. That's for sure. If whatever it is decides to come to Forks we'll need all the help we can get."

"Do you have any ideas as to what it could be? Other than me, I mean."

"It's a newborn, definitely," she said. "That's why Edward thought it might have been you. Whoever's doing this is being reckless. They aren't being careful with their feedings."

"What if it's more than one newborn?" I asked. "The article did say that police thought it might be gang activity. What if it's a gang of newborns?"

"No," she said. "A group of newborns all let loose on the streets? That'd be a complete bloodbath. There's more thought behind this. If it was just a group of newborns, literally nobody would be safe. Unless…" she trailed off.

"Unless someone's controlling them," I supplied.

"But why would someone do that?" she asked, furrowing her brow. Suddenly she stiffened, eyes going blank and not really focusing on anything. I recognized the look right away–she was having a vision, but that didn't calm me down at all.

"What do you see, Alice?" I asked, going over to her and gripping her arm tightly, searching her eyes with mine for some sign of life in them. I knew that trying to talk to her while she was having a vision would be no use but I couldn't help it. Nervousness seeped into me and I squeezed her arm tighter.

She sat frozen for a few more moments and then blinked rapidly back into reality. Her head snapped in my direction and I saw raw panic on her face. "Do plane tickets expire?"

"What? I don't know. What did you see?"

"I need to call Edward," she muttered, whipping her phone out of her pocket and dialing his number like a maniac. As soon as she heard the line click on, she started talking rapidly to him before he could even say anything to her. "Edward, you're at Bella's right? I need you to do something for me. It's urgent."

"I'm on my way there," he said. "What's up?"

"I'll explain later! Listen, you need to find the plane tickets that Carlisle and Esme gave to Bella for her birthday last year and convince Charlie to let her use them this weekend."

"Why?"

"There's not time for that!" she said. "Just do whatever you have to do, okay? And it has to be this weekend. And you can't tell Bella why."

"I don't even know why, but yeah, fine, but you're explaining everything to me when I get home," he said, ending the call. She made a face at her phone and shoved it back into her pocket.

"Alice what did you see?" I asked.

She furrowed her brow and said, "It was confusing. It was just a bunch of flashes. I saw a blonde vampire, he looked young. He wasn't a newborn, but he hasn't been a vampire for too long. I also saw the newborns killing people. And I saw…I saw…"

"What?" I asked, eyes widening at her.

She hesitated. "I think…I think I saw your mom."


	61. Chapter 4: Figured it Out

**Chapter 4: Figured it Out**

"My mom?" I repeated, rage seeping into me.

She nodded slowly. "It was just a quick flash, and apart from pictures I've never actually _seen _her, but I think it was her. She was talking to a woman with…" She trailed off and her eyes widened at me. "Oh my god."

"What?" I asked, searching her eyes. "A woman with what?"

"A woman with red curly hair," she whispered.

"Victoria," I breathed. "Alice, my mom was Laurent's mate. She wanted revenge from when the wolves killed him, which was one of the reason's she wanted to turn me, I think. And we all know that Victoria hates Bella. Do you think they'll come here?"

She hesitated and met my eyes nervously. "I don't know. But I do know that if the killings in Seattle get to be too bad I'm sure the Volturi will step in."

That piqued my interest. "You never told me about the Volturi after you came back from Italy."

She took a deep breath. "They're the vampire police; they make sure all vampires abide by our laws. If someone breaks a law, the Volturi will decide on the appropriate punishment."

"What are the laws?" I asked.

"There aren't many," she said. "It's basically just that we must keep what we are a secret. When you feed on humans make it inconspicuous, don't hunt in Volterra, if you make a vampire, you're responsible for it–don't just abandon it–and if a human finds out what you are, you either turn them or kill them. Oh, and another law is that you can't make immortal children."

"Immortal children?" I repeated.

She nodded. "A long time ago someone was turning children. Whoever it was was basically creating an army of vampire children–you can imagine how chaotic that would've been. The Volturi intervened, though, and made it clear what would happen to anyone else who tried it."

"I don't know if this was my imagination, but when Carlisle was unsure about whether to turn me or not, you said something about Aro knowing about me, who–or what–is Aro?"

"You heard that, did you?" she asked with a sigh. I nodded and she said, "Aro is the leader of the Volturi. He has a gift like Edward's, he can read minds, but he has to have some physical contact with the person who he's trying to read. You can imagine why he'd be interested in having a peek into my brain. He saw you in my thoughts and told me that you had to be turned or they'd pay us a visit."

"Pay us a visit?" I repeated. She nodded. "So they'd come to kill me." She nodded again. "But how would they even track that?"

"They'd probably send part of the guard to come and check if you were human or not."

"That's…" I trailed off.

"Yeah, it's scary, I know," she said. "I would've told you, but I didn't want to scare you. I was trying to think of a way to break it to you, and then you…well, died and I didn't have to anymore. I really am sorry about that, Mel."

"No, it's okay," I said. "It's better this way. If you had told me before I was turned I would've freaked out."

Alice opened her mouth to say more but she was interrupted by the front door of the house opening and Emmett loudly saying, "So, Ali, do we have to turn Mel in to the cops?"

"Very funny," she said wryly. "But no, we won't have to throw her in jail this time."

"Damn, I was looking forward to seeing her behind bars," he said, coming up to me and ruffling my hair. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle entered the house seconds later.

"Very funny, Emmett," I grumbled.

"No but seriously, I'm glad it isn't you," he said. "Whatever it is, it's big. We'll need all the help we can get fighting it."

"Actually, we think we figured it out," Alice said. "Sort-of."

"Sort-of?" Carlisle repeated.

"We think it might be Mel's mom and Victoria," she said.

"Victoria?" Rosalie hissed.

I nodded. "Alice saw her in a vision with my mom."

"But why would she be hanging around a bunch of newborns?" Esme asked.

"We think she, or someone, may be controlling them," Alice said.

"Like an army," Jasper said quietly.

"But if all she wants is Bella why would she need an army?" Rosalie asked.

"Bella isn't all she wants," I said quietly. "My mom and Laurent were mates. Victoria wants revenge for James and my mom wants revenge for Laurent. The wolves killed him. Victoria and my mom are probably working together to…to avenge them or whatever. They know that we'll try and stop them if they come for Bella and if they come for me the wolves will probably step in. I don't think my mom knows that I've been turned yet."

Esme covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, "Oh my god."

"They're coming for us," Jasper said with a grim tone to his voice.

"They want me; we know that, I'll go to them. I'll give myself over or something. I don't want you guys to get hurt," I said. "Maybe I can convince Victoria not to go after Bella."

"No, we can't let you do that, Mel," Carlisle said. "It's brave of you, but no. there's no telling what Victoria will do. She may not be content with just having you on their side."

"We can't just sit on the sidelines and wait for them to come here," Emmett said. "We need to hunt for them."

"Mel, would you be able to get the wolves to patrol in La Push?" Jasper asked. "Your mom has probably told Victoria that we can't go into La Push because of them. They'll use that to their advantage, but if the wolves are patrolling they won't have much of a choice but to stay in Forks."

"Yeah, I'll tell them," I mumbled, not feeling great about it.

"Edward and Bella are coming," Alice said suddenly, snapping her head up towards the front door. "Nobody talk about it to Bella. We don't need to scare her and tell her the real reason they're going to Jacksonville this weekend." At Alice's words, Rosalie trudged out to the garage and Carlisle headed upstairs to his study. Emmett lounged on the couch and turned on some sports game while Jasper went to set up a chess board. Esme sat down beside Emmett, pretending to be interested in the game. Alice and I remained where we were, sitting at the kitchen table talking. No one would ever think we had just had the conversation that we did. I took the newspaper off the table and shoved it in a drawer underneath the kitchen counter before sitting back down with Alice.

Sure enough, a few moments later Edward and Bella walked in the front door. Edward met Alice's eyes for a few moments and then turned his gaze to me, obviously reading our minds and listening to the conversation we had had before he arrived. It was so brief that Bella didn't notice the moment of silence between the three of us. I noticed Edward's jaw tighten slightly, but he relaxed almost immediately and smiled down at Bella, feigning nonchalance and suggesting that we all play chess.

Edward played against Alice and I watched as they both just maintained eye contact through the whole thing. The game itself only lasted about two minutes considering Alice could just see what moves Edward would make and Edward could read her mind to find out what her strategy was. They had only moved two pawns before Alice flicked her king over and glowered at Edward in surrender.

Edward looked up at me and offered to play against me. I would've preferred playing against Alice so I could just focus on the wolves so she wouldn't see my future moves, but I obliged. He smirked, obviously hearing my thoughts about wanting to play against Alice instead. I moved my chess pieces erratically, trying to scatter my thoughts as much as possible to confuse him, but that only resulted in me making rookie mistakes which cost me the game.

While Jasper was playing against Bella I made my escape. I needed to go talk to Paul about what the Cullens and I had talked about. I said my goodbyes to everyone and drove to La Push. For some reason, as I drove there, I felt nervous. I didn't know if it was because I was scared of how Paul would react to what I was going to tell him or if I was scared that my mom might be lurking. I mentally shook myself. I needed to keep reminding myself that she couldn't hurt me anymore.

I pulled into my usual parking spot and went up to Paul's apartment. I let myself in to see him lounging on the couch, looking like he had just fallen asleep. I closed the door silently behind me and curled on the chair in his living room. He stayed asleep for another ten minutes before opening his eyes and blinking groggily. I watched enviously as he stretched his arms over his head, arching his back as he did it. I remembered how good it used to feel to stretch right after waking up. I'd never feel that again in my life.

Finally, he looked at me. His eyes widened slightly in surprise as he saw me and then his face broke into a huge grin. "Still wearing it, huh?"

I looked down to see that I was still wearing the sweater that I had stolen from his dresser earlier. I smiled but I knew it wasn't genuine. "Yeah, I couldn't part with it."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Something's coming."

He stiffened. "What is coming?"

"It has to do with the killings in Seattle."

"What is it?" he asked. I hesitated. For some reason it was hard for me to form the words and say them. I felt fear creep up the back of my neck and didn't say anything. Paul, noticing my hesitance, probably thought that it meant I didn't know if I could trust him, and tightly asked, "Is it your kind?"

Anger replaced the fear almost instantly. I cocked an eyebrow at him and asked, "_My _kind? Why don't you just call me a leech and be done with it?" I stood up and said, "Never mind, maybe I'll go talk to Jared or Sam about this instead." I knew that would hurt him but what he had said hurt me. I turned away from him and began to walk towards the door.

I felt a hand on my wrist and Paul tried to pull me back towards him. I didn't move, but he said, "I didn't mean it like that, come on baby, talk to me. Is it vampires?" I turned back to face him, but didn't say anything. I crossed my arms over my chest and glowered up at him. A low growl rumbled in his chest. "Mel, are they coming here?"

"Maybe."

"God, you can be so difficult," he said in exasperation. "Tell them we'll keep watch but remind them that they can't cross the border. You're the only one allowed."

I nodded tightly. "Yeah, I'll go tell them. You better call Sam."

I turned away from him again to leave, but he grabbed my arm tightly and pulled me back, enveloping me in his arms. I wanted to leave. I was still mad at him for what he had said, but I didn't have it in me to pull away from him. It just felt so _good_ to be standing here in his arms, his warmth radiating off him and circling around me like a blanket.

"Don't go," he whispered. "Please stay here. I really didn't mean what I said earlier. I'm sorry about that, I really am."

It's fine," I mumbled. "I know you didn't mean it."

He pulled me over to the couch and sat down with me curled in his lap. I snuggled close to him. We hadn't had much time together lately and I literally cherished every moment with him. When I was with Paul I felt human again. I didn't feel like a dangerous monster. When I was with him I felt like _me_ again.

"Mel, listen," he said with a serious edge to his voice. I stiffened slightly and he said, "I know you really didn't want this, but I'm glad you're alive. If I had lost you…"

"I know," I said quietly. This was still a sort-of touchy subject for us, so I changed the subject. "Have you eaten?"

"Yeah, I grabbed something at Em's earlier."

"Good," I said, snuggling even closer to him. I still felt a bit annoyed about what he had said but I'd get over it. He hadn't _really_ said anything wrong.

"I've missed you lately," he said. "I feel like I never see you anymore."

"You saw me earlier today," I pointed out.

"I know, but it just feels like we've both been so busy," he said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm here now," I said, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. A while later, after Paul had gone to bed, I went back to the Cullen house. From outside I could hear Alice and Edward arguing. I was mildly surprised that they were actually speaking to each other, normally when they argued they did at all through their minds.

"Edward, it's _ugly_!" Alice said.

"I like it!"

"Too bad!" she snapped. I walked up to the front door and braced myself before opening it. Edward and Alice were standing in the living room, each one tugging one the ends of a brown duffel bag. Alice's eyes lit up when she saw me. "Mel! Can you please tell him that this bag is ugly?"

I looked at the duffel bag and then shrugged apologetically at Edward. "It is pretty ugly."

Alice smiled smugly at him and he rolled his eyes. "I don't care; I'm still taking it with me."

"No!" Alice groaned. "This is your first time meeting Renee, and _that's _what you want her first impression of you to be?"

Emmett was leaning against the back of the couch, chuckling. Edward glowered at him and muttered, "No, she isn't going to rip it."

Alice's eyes lit up and Edward's eyes widened, realizing his mistake. He tried to snatch his bag back, but not before Alice pulled it in her direction and it ripped right in half, all of Edward's belongings spilling out of it. Edward glowered at her and she crinkled her nose. "Why did you pack toiletries? I didn't even know you owned shaving cream."

"In case Renee decides to snoop," he muttered. "Now what am I going to do?"

"There's a dark blue suitcase upstairs for you." She grinned.

"I should make you go get it," he grumbled.

"I would, and I'd repack your suitcase for you too, since you seem to be hopeless at it," she said, then turned to me. "But Jasper and I need to go outside with Mel." She grinned wickedly at me and I stared widely at back her, feeling dread creep up the back of my neck.


	62. Chapter 5: Testing

**Chapter 5: Testing**

"Mel, I promise it won't be that bad," Alice said reassuringly. "You need to test your powers. You know that as well as I do."

"I know," I said, hearing the reluctance in my voice. "But what if I set the house on fire or something?"

"Relax," she said. "We trust you. Now listen, I've done some research on the elements. There are four main ones, earth, fire, water, and air, and then the last one is spirit. The reason I didn't include that is because it's rare for anyone to be able to control all five. I've read that controlling spirit can make a person go crazy. I don't know the extent of it, but if you can control it people seem to think there's some type of magic involved." She rolled her eyes. "I don't think it'll drive you crazy if you can harness it and I definitely don't think there's magic involved."

"Alice, I don't even know how I'd go about doing this," I said.

"Let's start easy," she said. "Try summoning earth to you."

It sounded silly, but I tried. In my head I said, _earth, come to me_, but nothing happened. I closed my eyes and scrunched my face up and tried again, but again: nothing happened. "It's not working." I opened my eyes and looked between Alice and Jasper.

"Try this," Jasper said. "Close your eyes and take deep breaths." I did what he said and waited. "Keep breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Let the scents of the earth fill you." At his words, I immediately caught a whiff of the dirt and grass and flowers around me. Something changed in his voice as he said, "Keep going, Mel." I let the feeling of the element fill me.

"Mel, open your eyes," Alice said softly. I opened them and looked around. At my feet, it looked like a little meadow had grown. Tiny purple flowers were growing and the grass almost looked greener. I glanced down at my arm to see that a tiny vine had circled around my wrist and up my forearm to the white scars from when Paul had scratched me.

My face split into a grin. "Did I do this?"

Alice grinned back at me. "You did!"

A laugh escaped me as the vine tickled my arm some more. As I laughed, I felt a small breeze pick up and lift my hair around my shoulders. It was like a mini whirlwind around me, but it wasn't intense. It had a very calming effect. As I felt my high from earth come down, the air became colder and I could hear the sound of the ocean lapping against rocks and smell the salty sea air.

"This is so cool!" I exclaimed. It was like those three elements were playing with me and each other, but there was one that was obviously missing. "What about fire?" As I said the words I felt warmth pool inside of me, right in the centre of my back. My breathing became a bit heavier and I could feel it tingling through my arms and fingers. Feeling all the elements inside me was an indescribable feeling. I felt _so_ connected to everything around me. It felt like my spirit was one with the elements.

"This must be what the spirit element feels like," I whispered.

Alice was staring at me and said, "Mel, you look like you're glowing."

"I _feel_ like I'm glowing," I said. "I feel so…so enlightened. I can't wait to try this out more."

"I told you it wouldn't be that bad!" Alice said smugly.

I mentally told the elements goodbye. That seemed like the right thing to do. I thanked them, and one by one they left, with earth leaving last. The vine on my arm tickled my wrist once more before almost being sucked back into the ground.

"Once you're able to fully control them there'll be no stopping you," Jasper said with a laugh. "Emmett won't know what hit him."

I grinned. "Oh _that's _a day I can't wait for."

Alice cocked her head to the side and looked confused for a moment before her face went completely blank. Jasper and I shared a look before he grasped her arm, waiting for her to come back to reality.

A few moments later she blinked rapidly and then her eyes widened. She pointed into the forest and said, "That way. We have to go that way. Now."

I hesitated. "Shouldn't we get—?"

"No!" she said. "We don't have time. It's your mom."

She didn't need to say another word. I shot off in the direction she had pointed. Alice and Jasper were beside me in an instant. I asked Alice which way and she pointed me in the right direction. I caught my mom's scent and pushed myself further. At one point, Alice and Jasper stopped. I stopped too and turned to look at them, question in my eyes.

"We can't go any further," Alice said. "If we take two more steps we'll be in La Push."

"I have to go after her," I said.

Alice nodded. "Stay safe."

"I will," I said, before taking off again. As I ran, I mentally prepared myself. I remembered the feeling of all the elements inside of me and allowed them to guide me. I felt the presence of air, fire, water, earth and spirit inside me. I hoped beyond hope that if I needed to use them they'd help me if it came down to that with my mom. I followed her scent until I got to the cliffs where she was waiting for me. In fact, it was _the_ cliff that I had fallen off of. Idly, I wondered if she had some way of knowing or if this had just been a coincidence.

"So you finally gave in," she said, eyeing me with a cocked eyebrow. "You finally chose the better life."

"I didn't choose this," I snapped, feeling my temper rise. I felt fire come to the surface inside me, as if the element could feel my anger and got stronger with it.

"I highly doubt that," she smirked.

"I was dying," I said. "Not that _you_ care. Anyway, what do you want? Why are you here?"

"Can't I just visit my daughter?" she asked, blinking as if in an innocent way.

"No."

"I'm wondering, though," she continued as if I hadn't said anything. "Why you're one of those vegan vamps now. Human blood is _so _much better."

"I couldn't kill the people who I've grown up with—the people who I've known my entire life."

"You care too much," she sneered.

"You don't care enough! Why are you here?"

"I came to warn you," she growled.

"Warn me about what?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Something big is coming and if I were you I'd stay out of it."

"What's coming?" I asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," she said gleefully. "But you know, there is still time for you to join us." She slowly walked towards me and circled around me. "Join us, Mel, you'll be on the winning side, you know there's no hope for your side of this. Come on, we can work together."

I didn't know what was happening to me, but her words were affecting me. I almost wanted to go with her. I wanted to join her side. Suddenly, a blast of cold air shot through me and I came back to my senses. It dawned on me that that must have been my mom's power, she could convince people to do things. Rage replaced the desire to go with her and I whirled around to face her, feeling fire burning through my veins.

"No, I _won't_ join you," I growled. Her eyes widened in surprise and I pushed her away from me. She gasped in shock (or pain) and I realized that I must have burned her, but I didn't care. "Don't you dare think that I will join your side, Mom, because I won't. I actually value my friends and the people that I love, unlike _you_."

"You'll regret this. Get ready to hunt—and get ready to fight," she snapped and ran off. I took a deep breath, feeling oddly shaken from my encounter with her. I heard a twig snap behind me and I stiffened. Slowly, I turned, to see that I was face-to-face with a giant, dark brown, growling wolf.

Oddly enough, I sighed in relief. It was only Jared. He bared his teeth at me, growling growing louder. "Jared, relax, it's only me. It's Mel." The growling stopped immediately and he nuzzled my arm with his nose. I ruffled the fur between his ears and then ran back to the Cullen house where I was sure Alice and Jasper were waiting.

They were sitting on the front steps of the house. Alice looked up right away when she saw me. "Well?"

"She told me something big was coming and that we should get ready to hunt and fight," I said. I decided to leave out the part about her asking me to join her. I didn't want them thinking that I'd turn on them at the last moment, plus I was still shaken by the way her words had affected me.

Edward stormed out of the house, glaring at me. "Thought you could leave that minor detail out?" _Shit! _I had forgotten that he would've been able to read my mind. "Yeah, I know you did!"

_I didn't want them to think that I would abandon them at any second!_ I mentally yelled. _It won't happen, so it isn't important. Why should I worry them even more?_

"You left out something that could've been drastic!"

_It only would've been drastic if I had chosen to stay with her._

"You almost did," he growled.

_Almost. But I came to my senses. If you'd actually listen to my thoughts you'd see that that's probably her power. If you tell any of them I'll rip you apart. _He gave me a look that said, _bring it on_, so I mentally said, _don't tempt me, Cullen._

Alice and Jasper were staring widely between us and Alice asked, "_What_ are you two going on about?"

"Nothing important," I said, maintaining eye contact with Edward and cocking an eyebrow at him. He didn't say anything more but gave me another warning look before turning on his heel and going into the house. Alice rolled her eyes at his retreating back and led me to one of the chairs on the front porch as Jasper went inside.

"Mel, I wanted to talk to you about something," she said. "Well, it's more I wanted to warn you about something."

My stomach tightened nervously. "What is it?"

"It's the Volturi," she said. "I have a feeling they'll be coming here soon. It won't be the entire guard, at least, I don't think so, but they may try to…recruit you."

"Recruit me?" I repeated.

She nodded. "I've been watching Aro closely. Obviously he doesn't know what your power is—he doesn't even know that you're one of us yet—but when he finds out he'll want you. There's no one on the guard with your power. He's asked Edward and me to join the guard numerous times. When we just went he offered again. I've been watching everyone on the guard, but one of them, Jane, she's knows to plan things erratically. She knows about my power and she knows not to plan too far ahead if Aro wants her to surprise us."

"And I'm guessing her surprising us would be far from good," I said.

Alice's face twisted into a sour look. "She may be the most dangerous member of the guard. She and her brother, Alec, make a deadly team."

"What can they do?" I asked.

"Jane can put the illusion of pain in someone's mind and Alec can cut off all senses. Imagine having all of your senses cut off and then only feeling pain." Alice shuddered. "They've never done it to me, but Jane used her power on Edward. I've never seen him like that in my life before. It…it scared me. I thought Aro was going to force Edward or me to join. I think he respects Carlisle too much to do that."

"Well I won't join," I said. "You said he respects Carlisle, right? If it's clear that I'm basically part of this coven then he wouldn't try to force me into it."

"Let's hope not," Alice muttered. "Anyway, tomorrow we're going to go running. We're going to try to track down your mom and maybe Victoria."

"Sounds good," I said. "I'll let Paul know so he can tell the guys." Alice stood up and went into the house and I called Paul, oddly feeling nervousness knot in my stomach.

When he answered the phone I could hear the smile in his voice as he said, "Hey Mel, what's up?"

"I just called to let you know we'll be running in the forest tomorrow, hunting for things," I said.

"We'll be out there too," he said. "Just remind them that they can't cross the border. You're the only one who can."

I rolled my eyes and mimicked his voice, saying, "Well you remind the guys that none of you can cross the border."

He barked out a laugh. "Yeah, we know. Are you coming by tonight?"

"I'm not sure," I said. "I have some stuff to do."

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine," I said.

"Mel, I know when something isn't alright with you," he said seriously. "Come over and we'll talk, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be there soon," I mumbled, ending the call and beginning to walk away from the Cullen house. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I didn't know why I felt so reluctant to go see him. Was it what Alice had told me about the Volturi or was it the latest encounter with my mom? Or was it something completely different that was bothering me?

Ever since I had been turned, things felt different between Paul and I. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what it was, but it was just different. I felt like he was more cautious around me before, whether it was him trying to watch his words or him being worried that he'd lose me again, I wasn't sure.

Things just felt so tense between us. Maybe it was just the events surrounding the newborn army and my mom that were worrying me and I was just overreacting, and I desperately wanted to believe that, but something about that explanation didn't sit right with me.

I shook my head at myself as I reached Paul's apartment building. He and I were _fine_. Things were only tense because of the shit happening in the vampire world. I walked up to his apartment and went inside, hoping to enjoy the little bit of time I'd have with him for the night.


	63. Chapter 6: Dismissed

**Chapter 6: Dismissed**

The night between Paul and I started off fine.

When I had gone inside he was eating dinner. I sprawled out on the couch as he ate his food, flipping through a book I had found on his coffee table. When he was done eating he came over to the couch and jumped on me, pressing soft kisses to my cheeks and neck.

"Are you gonna tell me what was bothering you earlier?" he asked once he had finished his assault on my face.

I looked away from him. "It's nothing, I promise."

"Mel, come on, talk to me."

"The vampire police—The Volturi—Alice warned me about them. She said they may…want me."

"Want you?" he asked, tightening his hold on my hands.

I nodded. "She said there isn't anyone like me on the guard, and she thinks they'll be coming here soon. She said they may try to recruit me."

"I won't let anything happen to you," he said fiercely, then smiled and said, "You can't get rid of me that easily." I tried for a smile but I knew it was a half-assed attempt. "There's something else, isn't there?

I met his eyes again and very quietly said, "I saw my mom today."

He stiffened. "What happened?"

"Well, first Alice and Jasper were helping me with my powers, and then Alice had a vision and she saw my mom and we chased her. She ran into La Push, so Alice and Jasper couldn't follow, but I did and she talked to me."

"What'd she say?" he asked gently, sensing that our conversation hadn't exactly been pleasant.

I took a deep breath and said, "She warned me that something big is coming. And then…and then she tried to get me to join her. She…she almost convinced me."

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I think that's her power," I explained. "I think she can convince people to do things. But then I think the elements helped me come to my senses and I think I burned her."

"You burned her?" he repeated, eyes widening slightly.

I nodded. "It was kinda scary. I was angry and I felt fire burning through me, and then I pushed her away and it looked like she had gotten hurt. It felt like it had been me who had done it to her. That's the only logical explanation for what happened." Something flashed in Paul's eyes, but he tried not to let it show. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it looked like a cross between fear and anger. It was so quick that I almost didn't see it, but with my improved vision my eyes picked up on it.

I stiffened and tried to ignore the white hot flash of anger that shot through me. I didn't exactly feel angry—I felt upset. Paul had looked _scared_ of me. The quick flash of fear in his eyes had made me feel like he thought I was a time bomb about to detonate. Paul dropped my hands and looked at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I asked, hearing how tight my voice sounded and hating it.

"Your…your hands," he whispered. "They felt warm."

"See? That's what I mean," I said, trying to hide how upset I was. "I need to learn how to control it or I might set you on fire or something."

He smiled, but I could see how tense he was around his eyes. "I'm used to be being warm."

"You're scared of me."

It wasn't a question and he knew it. He looked away from me and took a deep breath. "You're really, _really_ powerful, Mel, how can I not be intimidated by that?"

"The same way I'm not intimidated by you when you turn into a giant wolf," I said. I pushed him off of me and said, "I should get going, I'll see you tomorrow if you're running."

"I am," he said as I stood up and walked to the door of the apartment. "See you then."

Without another word from either of us I opened the door and left his apartment. I felt terrible as I walked down to my car—I had left it here a few days ago when I had stayed the night. I rubbed at my face as I got into my car. I had wanted to make things better with Paul, not tenser between us, but that little scene was sure to just add to the tense factor in our relationship. Sometimes I truly wondered if it was worth it.

_No. _I had to stop thinking like that. We were meant to be together. We had gone through so much together that it wouldn't make sense to just throw it all away. We were stronger than that. We were just going through a little rough patch. That was all and it was understandable. I had literally changed from a human into something else entirely, that would put a strain on _any_ relationship.

I sat in my car with the engine running and closed my eyes. I felt super reluctant to go back to the Cullens' house. I wanted to be alone. I had had little to no time to myself since I had been turned and I cherished every moment I had alone. I knew it was just a matter of time before Alice came looking for me, but I hoped she'd be able to look into my future and see that I had no plans to go on a killing rampage anytime soon.

I started to drive and ended up at First Beach. The sun was just starting to set and the horizon looked like fire against the water. I got out of my car and sat down on the sand, staring out at the water. This was one of my favourite places—even though I could see the cliff where I had fallen from and died. There was just something about First Beach that calmed me down, and now with my connection to the elements, I felt like it calmed me down and soothed me even more than before.

I wasn't sure how long I had been out there before I heard footsteps behind me. It was dark out and it was spitting rain but I didn't care. I barely felt the water droplets on me.

"Mel?" asked a voice that I recognized immediately. Unfortunately it wasn't the voice that I had been hoping for.

"What is it, Jared?" I asked without turning.

He sat down on the sand beside me and said, "I could feel that you were upset. And besides, you're sitting out here alone in the dark. I saw your car. What's wrong?"

"Jared, no offense, but I really don't think you want to hear about this particular problem," I said as gently as possible.

"Talk to me."

"I'm scared," I admitted, still not looking at him.

"Of?"

"Lots of things," I said. "My mom, the vampire police, and—well more so lately—losing Paul."

"Why do you think you're going to lose him?" he asked. "And the vampire police?"

"Alice thinks they're going to want me—it's a long story," I said, shaking my head. "And with Paul…things have just been tense lately. It isn't the same between us anymore."

"You know how much he cares about you," he said. "Seeing you die put a huge amount of stress on him—on both of us. It was hard to go through that. He's worried about something like that happening again, but in the back of his mind he's relieved that you were turned. So am I, even though I don't like it."

"But then why is he still worried?" I asked. "I'm basically indestructible now. It feels like he thinks I'm made of glass or something."

"Put yourself in his shoes," he said. "Imagine if you saw him die. It really puts things into perspective—trust me."

I chewed on my lip. "Yeah I guess you're right. But earlier…he seemed _afraid _of me." I explained to Jared what happened between my mom and me, and then explained how Paul had reacted to it.

Jared was silent as he mulled it over. "Maybe he was just surprised? That's kind of a shock to hear."

I shrugged. "I don't know but it…it upset me."

"Well—"

Jared was cut off by a voice behind him. "Can I talk to her please?"

I turned to see Paul standing about ten feet away with a dark expression on his face. I felt the walls inside me go up immediately, oddly feeling defensive at the sight of him. Jared glanced at me and I briefly met his eyes and nodded at him, telling him it was okay.

"Yeah, see you guys later," he said, standing up and brushing sand off his pants. He turned away from us and jogged into the forest. In hindsight I realized that he had gone into the forest to observe us from afar, just in case something happened between Paul and I and Jared felt the need to step in.

Paul slowly made his way toward me and sat down beside me. I turned my attention back to the water. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes before I broke the silence.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you feel more comfortable talking to him than me," he said tightly.

"Really?" I asked, feeling anger bubble in my stomach. "You're getting jealous of him? Again?"

"Do you blame me?" he demanded. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a tremor roll through him but he took a deep breath and it almost instantly calmed him down. Despite being annoyed with him I felt pride well up in my chest. He had improved his temper so much since he had scratched me. "In all honesty I'm shocked you haven't chosen him over me yet. It's just a matter of time."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"You know it as well as I do," he said, anger seeping back into his tone. "That first time your mom came, _he _was there for you, when Sam made you leave, _he _was there for you that night, and when I scratched you, _he_ was there for you. I'm sure there have been other times that I don't know about."

"But I haven't chosen him over you," I whispered.

"I think you should," he said as if it pained him to say it.

"What?" I whispered, voice trembling. "No, we've been over this."

"He's the better choice for you," Paul said with a shrug.

I turned and grasped the collar of his jacket. "No. Why are we going through this again? I want to be with _you_."

"You haven't given him a chance."

"Where is this coming from?" I demanded, feeling anger swell in my chest again. "Is this because of what I told you about earlier? You can't handle me? Is that it, Paul? You can't handle the fact that I have these powers so you're abandoning me?"

"That isn't it," he said.

"Then what is it, Paul?" I demanded. "If you lose your temper with me now you won't hurt me nearly as badly, so don't you dare say that you're afraid of hurting me."

"I'm hurting you right now," he whispered.

"By pushing me away," I said.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Are you?"

"Don't do that," he said. "I just…I don't know what to do anymore, Mel. I'm trying, I really am."

"I know you are," I said. "But don't tell me that I should be with someone else instead of you. I want to be with you."

"You know as well as I do that it'd be so much easier for you if you were with him," he said.

I shrugged. "I don't care. I didn't sign up for easy."

"I feel like since you were turned I've taken so many missteps," he admitted. "You've changed—not that that's a bad thing—but I just…I don't know how to handle you."

"_Handle _me?" I repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said. "But that's what I mean. I feel like I don't know you anymore. And you've been so stressed lately…it's just…"

"Tense," I supplied.

"Yeah, it has been," he agreed. "And I don't want it to be. I hate feeling like I'm constantly upsetting you. I feel like it'd be better if I stayed away for a bit to let you get your shit together, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," I said, feeling dread creep up my back. "But I don't want you to go away."

"I don't _want_ to go away," he said.

"Then don't," I said. "Please, Paul, don't leave me. That's the last thing I want right now. We've been through too much to just let it all go."

"Yeah I know we have been, and I know it isn't what you want," he said. "But it might be what you need—what we both need."

"Are you…are you breaking up with me?" I whispered, letting go of his collar.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath as if debating with himself. When he looked back up at me his face had gone completely neutral, as if he had forced himself to compose his face into a tight mask.

"I am."

I didn't say anything. I just searched his eyes with mine, but I saw nothing. I saw no flicker of life in them. It was as if he had completely shut himself down and was trying to hide how he was feeling.

"Well then I guess…I guess I better get going," I said quietly.

"I think that would be best," he said tightly.

Dismissed. It seemed like without a second thought he had dismissed me.

I pushed myself off the sandy ground, fighting against the urge to throw myself at him and force him to take me back. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams. I slowly walked back to my car, hoping beyond hope that he would stop me from leaving. I hoped that he would kiss me with everything he had in him and tell me that we could be together again.

He didn't.

As I got into my car, I threw one last look at him. I could see the outline of his body sitting right where I had left him on the beach. I started my car and drove away. I didn't even realize where I had driven to until I was there knocking on the door.

It opened sooner than I had expected and I only said three words that I was sure I would regret in the future.

"I need you."


	64. Chapter 7: Pain

**Chapter 7: Pain**

_**Paul**_

Paul didn't watch her leave.

He knew if he watched her walking away from him he would be too tempted to run after her. He forced himself to stay firmly planted to the ground. He could tell she was deliberately walking slowly and it killed him to not go after her. When he heard her car start and heard her drive away relief poured out of him. He wouldn't be tempted to go after her now. She was gone. But, he was sure he knew exactly where she was going and the thought pained him.

He remembered the look on her face as he had told her he was breaking up with her. Saying the words had hurt him, but seeing the look on her face was ten times worse. It reminded him of when she had had to leave La Push all those months ago.

Letting her go had been the best choice. It was as simple as that. Over the course of the past week or so neither of them had been happy. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that they were together that was causing it or if it was something else. He knew how much stress she was under with everything happening in the vampire world—which was also putting a strain on the pack. Sam had the pack working harder than ever to defend the tribe.

Paul hadn't told Mel this, but a few times when he had been running he had caught a quick glimpse of her mom. He'd see her and then he'd turn to run in her direction, only to realize that she was standing just over the border, eerily staring at him and smiling wickedly at him. She'd beckon him forward, but he'd turn away and run off to get one of the other guys for back up. When they returned to where he had seen her, she'd be gone.

That had happened about five times and every time it was creepier and creepier.

Paul pulled himself off the ground and brushed the sand off of his body. He felt tense. He had thought that ending it with Mel would make him feel better but it just made him feel even tenser.

He slowly walked back to his apartment, replaying the conversations he had with her over and over again in his head. Earlier, in his apartment, when her hands had all of a sudden gone warm he had felt a jolt of shock. Since she had been turned her hands were always unsurprisingly cold. Feeling them warm again reminded him of when she had been a human.

Oddly enough, he longed to get that back. Things had felt so much easier between them back then, which didn't make sense. When she had been a human he had had the constant fear that he would lose his temper with her and hurt her—which was exactly what had happened when he had scratched her. Now, she was virtually indestructible. Why was it so much harder now?

He arrived at his apartment building and went inside. He went straight for his bedroom and collapsed on the bed.

It smelled like her.

In fact, the entire apartment held a lingering scent of her.

It killed him.

He wanted to call her and make things right—in fact he almost did—but the thought of calling her while she was where she probably was…

No. He didn't want to go through that. If he called her it would just confirm his suspicions and he didn't think he'd be able to handle that. He rubbed at his face. Half of her stuff was still here. She had been switching back and forth between living at the Cullen house and living here with him. Her clothes were still hanging in the closet and she had some hair products and makeup in the bathroom.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Knowing her she'd sneak back in when she knew he wasn't home and she'd move all of her stuff out. She'd probably want to avoid confrontation as much as possible.

But he couldn't help but hope that he'd be here when she came. It was stupid of him and he knew that if he was here it wouldn't make things any better. This was his fault. He had been the idiot who had ended it with her. By the time she came back she'd probably be with Jared. He knew that Jared wouldn't hesitate in trying to 'get' her.

_This is what you wanted_, he forced himself to think. _You told her to give him a chance. He didn't suggest it, you did._

It didn't make himself feel any better thinking that.

He felt completely exhausted and worn out but as he lay in bed he couldn't sleep. Flashes of Mel falling off the cliff and into the water shot through his head. He hadn't been able to save her then—he had had to resort to getting help from the Cullens—what if something like that happened again and he wouldn't be there again because he had been stupid and ended it with her? He remembered her writhing in pain on the bed as she was turned into a vampire. Obviously she'd never have to go through that again, but what if she got hurt again and he wasn't there?

But maybe it was best for him to back off. If it hadn't been for him she probably wouldn't have died in the first place. She wouldn't have been up on the cliff if he hadn't suggested going up there.

He rubbed at his face. She had told him to stop blaming himself for what had happened. What happened happened. He couldn't change that now. He couldn't take back what he had done, and he surely couldn't take back what he had just said to her. What was done was done and now he had to deal with the consequences.

He pulled himself off his bed and paced the bedroom.

"Fuck this," he muttered to himself and left his bedroom. He left the apartment, practically running, and jogged into the forest, tearing at his clothes as he ran. He felt his body begin to shake and he transformed into his wolf form.

He ran until dawn.


	65. Chapter 8: Comfort

**Chapter 8: Comfort**

_**Mel**_

"Come in," Jared said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading me inside. He shut the door behind him and led me to the couch, sitting me down on it and then sitting beside me. "You wanna talk about it?"

I leaned against him, taking comfort in his warmth. I felt horrible about being there with him but I hadn't known where else to go. Paul had hijacked my spot on the beach and even if he hadn't I didn't think I would've wanted to stay there after the conversation we had had. Plus I had no intention of going back to the Cullen house anytime soon.

"It's over," I whispered. "He broke up with me. We're done."

"What?" he asked. His voice had gone tight and angry.

"He broke up with me," I repeated. "He said time apart is what both of us need."

Jared's hold tightened slightly on me. "I'll kill him."

"No," I said, grabbing his shirt. "No, it's okay."

"You're not okay," he pointed out.

"But I will be," I said. "Maybe he's right. Maybe time apart is what we need. Yeah I'm upset but I'll…" I trailed off and took a deep breath. "I'll get over it."

Jared ran his fingers along the scars on my arm and quietly said, "Why didn't these go away?"

I shrugged, looking down at my arm. "Carlisle doesn't know. Normally any markings on the body from when a person was human disappear when they're turned. He has no idea why that didn't happen for me."

He chuckled. "You always seem to have something different, don't you?"

"What?"

"First the double imprint, now this," he explained. "There's something special about you, you know that right?"

I shifted my weight. "I guess so." In all honesty, I had never thought of it as being "special". The double imprint had always been such a burden on my life. It had always just added stress to my life and I hadn't thought much about the scarring. I had figured it was just because it was a wolf that had done it to me, not because it had had something to do with _me_.

Jared grasped my face and turned it towards him so I was forced to meet his eyes. "I know you probably don't want to talk about this right now, but—"

"Jared—"

"Hear me out, okay?" I nodded, prompting him to continue and he said, "It's over between you and him. You said it yourself. Why can't you give me a shot?"

"Jared, no offense, but it's a bit too soon to even think about that," I said.

"I don't need an answer right now," he said. "In fact, I don't want an answer right now. I just want you to know that I'm always here for you."

"I know that."

"I mean, I'll always be waiting for the day you decide to give me a chance, Mel," he said and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "Just promise me you'll think about it?"

"I will," I said. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him again. I knew that I should've gone back to the Cullen house but I couldn't bring myself to leave Jared's side. I felt guilty about it, but every time I thought of leaving my stomach clenched tightly and I felt reluctant to leave.

I knew that what I was feeling wasn't exactly normal vampire behaviour, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. It felt _nice _to be wrapped in Jared's arms. It felt more _human_. More natural. Was it so wrong to feel this way? I didn't feel like I was cheating on Paul—we were broken up. How could I cheat on him if we weren't even together anymore?

But it still felt weird being here. It felt nice, of course, but there was just something off about the whole situation. It felt like there was some underlying tension that neither of us wanted to address.

He let go of me to stretch his arms over his head. "I think I'm gonna head to bed." He glance down at me and said, "You gonna keep me company?"

"Jared, I _really _don't think that'd be appropriate," I said, shifting away from him. Even though I was reluctant to leave, I wasn't _that_ reluctant.

"I was kidding," he said. "But I wasn't kidding about going to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow."

Tomorrow. I had completely forgotten about going running with the Cullens. After everything that had happened with Paul, it had completely slipped my mind that we were going running after Victoria and my mom.

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, get some sleep. I'll see you in the woods tomorrow."

"You don't have to leave if you don't want to," he said. "You're welcome to stay. You can stay out here and watch movies or something."

"No, I should probably go hunting or something," I said. "And I should check in with the Cullens so they don't think I'm out murdering people."

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "What are they, your babysitters?"

"No, they just worry about me," I said. "Get some sleep, okay?" I stood up and went to leave his house but he grasped my wrist and pulled me back to him, enveloping me in his arms. We stood like that for two minutes without speaking, but then he pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head and let go of me.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" he said. I nodded and he said, "Be careful out there. You never know what's lurking."

I smiled half-heartedly. "I'll be careful, see you tomorrow." I walked out of his house and to my car. For some reason I felt lighter on my feet. Talking to Jared had actually made me feel a lot better about what had happened between Paul and me.

As I drove through the streets of La Push I let my mind relax. I stopped thinking about Paul breaking up with me. I told myself that I didn't need to think about that anymore. If I was going to get over him, I had to stop thinking about him. I couldn't just wallow around waiting for him to decide to take me back.

No, I wouldn't do that.

Obviously I wanted things to work out between us, but I wouldn't just sit around waiting for him. I had done enough of that in the past and it wasn't going to happen this time. I needed to accept that we were over.

Of course, just because he had broken up with me didn't mean we would stay broken up. In the past when we had broken up we always ended up back together. I hoped that at some point in the future we could get back together, but for now I wasn't going to think about it. I had a lot more on my plate to deal with than boy trouble.

I thought back to what Jared had said about giving him a chance and pinched the bridge of my nose as I was stopped at a red light. I didn't even want to think about relationships right now. I had enough on my plate as it was, I didn't want to add having a boyfriend to that list.

As I drove over the border between La Push and Forks, I briefly caught a glimpse of what I was certain was a silver coloured wolf running through the forest.


	66. Chapter 9: Run

**Chapter 10: Run**

Back at the Cullen house I was glad to see that there wasn't any tension in the air. Everyone seemed to be in a pretty god mood. Edward had gone to Jacksonville with Bella, Jasper and Emmett were outside wresting, Carlisle and Esme were curled on the couch together, Rosalie was in the garage, and Alice was sitting at the table in the kitchen with papers littered all over the table, writing furiously on a piece of paper.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sitting across from her.

"Filling out your college applications," she said.

"What?!"

"The deadline to get applications in is in two weeks, Mel," she said, never slowing down her writing speed. "You obviously weren't too concerned about it."

"I hadn't even really thought about it," I said. "There's been a lot on my plate lately."

"Are you alright?" she asked, seeming to sense what had happened between Paul and me.

I shrugged. "I'm sad, yeah, but I'll be okay."

"You went to see Jared, didn't you?" she asked. There was no judgement in her voice, just pure curiosity

I nodded. "Yeah, I did. I just needed…I needed to talk to him about it. I didn't know where else to go."

"I understand," she said.

"Which colleges am I applying for?" I asked, needing to get my mind off the wolves.

"Tonnes," she said, flashing a wicked smile at me. "A few here in Washington, one in Vancouver, New York, Louisiana, and a couple in California."

"I haven't even thought about where I want to go," I said.

"It's okay, I've already seen what you're planning for your future," she said. "I just took the liberty of filling out the forms for you. I think early childhood education or journalism is good for you."

"Thanks," I muttered. Alice began talking about the plans for tomorrow but I couldn't pay attention to what she was saying. My mind was still whirling with the events of the evening. Paul had said that I had changed. _Had_ I changed? Yeah, obviously I had changed physically, but I still felt like myself. It didn't feel like I was acting any different.

But, of course, trying to adjust with my new powers and everything was difficult. Was it my fault that I was having a hard time adjusting? Or was there something else that was bothering Paul that he wasn't telling me? It didn't seem likely that I had changed enough to make him feel inadequate for me.

I thought back to the look on his face when he had told me to go. He had looked so empty. He hadn't looked sad; he hadn't looked remorseful—just empty. It was like he had shut down to try and hide how he had been feeling. Normally I knew exactly how he was feeling just from looking at him. I could tell when he was upset or angry but earlier he had just looked vacant.

"Hello? Earth to Mel," Alice said, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Sorry," I said, blinking rapidly. "What were you saying?"

"I was just asking if you're going to be okay to run with us tomorrow," she said, raising an eyebrow. "You have to make sure you're completely concentrated on it. You can stay back if you want…"

"No," I said immediately. "Going with you guys will get my mind off Paul and the wolves."

"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly, putting her pen down and eyeing me warily. "I mean, we'll all understand, and we won't blame you if—"

I cut her off. "Alice, I burned my mom today."

Her eyes widened in surprise at me and said, "Go on." I explained it all to her and her expression never changed. Her face didn't contort in judgement and she didn't back away from me as if she was scared of me. Quietly, she said, "Are you sure that's what happened?"

"Pretty sure," I said. "I mean, what else could it have been?" I shook my head and said, "Can we please not talk about this anymore? I don't wanna sound rude but it…it freaked me out."

"I understand," she said with no hesitation whatsoever. That was what I loved most about Alice. When you made it clear to her that you didn't want to talk about something she'd drop it. She wouldn't insist on pestering you to find out every last detail. "Do you want to talk about Paul?"

I took a deep breath. "He told me he thought it'd be better for both of us if we broke up. He talked about how I've changed and how he doesn't know how to handle me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well obviously you've changed. But it isn't _that_ much of a difference."

"That's what I was thinking!" I said.

"What did Jared say?"

"He told me that he was always there for me if I ever decided to be with him," I said. "But Alice, I don't think that's what I want."

"What?"

"Do you know how pathetic I'll feel if I just run into Jared's arms at this point?" I asked. "It'll literally be that I couldn't have Paul so I settled for him. I don't want to feel like I'm using Jared and I don't him to feel used. That would be wrong. Plus, who says I _need_ to be with someone? Dating a member of the pack just seems to cause problems. I'm just gonna back off. I'll enjoy the single life for a while."

A smile quirked at Alice's lips. "That's a good idea, Mel. They'll just weigh you down."

I laughed and for some reason, the sound surprised me. It was the first time all day that I had felt legitimately _happy_. I felt lighter somehow and I didn't understand why.

For the rest of the evening Alice and I filled out and mailed my college applications. It felt kinda surreal to put them in the mailbox and send them. College was literally the last thing on my mind, but it was looming above my head like a storm cloud.

Afterwards, Alice and I hunted a little and we practiced using my powers again. It felt good to have the elements fill me again. It was an indescribable feeling. I felt like I was completely calm and grounded when I manipulated them.

The next day, we were all pumped. We were excited to finally get to run after something without Edward ruining it. He was always so worried that Bella would be near the forests. The Cullens—minus Edward since he was in Jacksonville—and I were standing outside their house. Alice had her eyes closed, concentrating on Victoria's future to find out where she'd be heading. We were all crouched, ready to take off when Alice said the word.

Her eyes sprung open and she pointed, "That way!" And we all sprang into action. I ran in the direction that she had pointed and easily picked up the scent of a vampire. I glanced to my right and saw a flash of red. I changed direction and bolted that way.

I was right behind her. I was so close to her that I could almost grab her. I reached my hand out, ready to grab a handful of her hair when I heard something on the lines of boulders crashing into each other about twenty feet to my left. I stopped and ran towards it and into a clearing to see Paul and Emmett on the ground snarling at each other. Paul hadn't phased yet, which surprised me, but tremors were rolling through him and I knew he was close to.

"What is going on?!" I demanded, standing between them.

They stood up, glaring at each other and Paul growled, "He was on our side! You know the rules. You know you're the only one allowed here."

"It was a mistake!" Emmett snapped. "But my breaking your arm won't be."

"Bring it on," Paul snarled.

"Stop it!" I yelled, putting my hands on either of their chests. "I'll have you know that I almost had her if not for your interrupting!"

Emmett cocked an eyebrow at me. "_You_ almost had her?"

"Yes, _I_ almost had her!" I snapped.

"Why'd you stop chasing her?" Emmett groaned.

"So you two didn't kill each other!"

Paul rolled his eyes and said, "I could've taken him."

"You wanna test that theory?" Emmett asked.

"Stop it!" I yelled again. "We're all gonna have to work together with this. You both know that. So can you please kiss and make up before I rip both your heads off?"

Emmett was still breathing angrily and I could tell he was pissed but he grudgingly said, "Sorry. I won't cross over again."

Paul glowered at him and said, "Yeah, sorry for almost killing you."

"Come on, Emmett; let me show you where the border is since you apparently can't see it," I teased. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back into Forks, but not before I glanced back at Paul to see that he was watching me. When he realized that I had seen him, he turned away immediately and stomped back into the thicker part of the forest.

I glowered at his retreating back, but then I tensed. I smelled her. Not Victoria, my mom. Emmett noticed and he asked me what was wrong, but I held a finger up to silence him. I turned in the direction I had smelled her from and glanced at Emmett, putting a finger to my lips, then pointing in the direction. He nodded and we took off.

Her scent became so strong that I was sure we had her. We stopped just before entering a clearing and hid behind two trees. I peeked around my tree to see my mom and Victoria and a tall, blond boy.

I met Emmett's eyes and mouthed, _Cover me_, to him. He nodded and I stepped out from behind the tree and into the clearing.

My mom turned and met my eyes. Her smile turned feral and she said, "Hello Melanie, come to join us?"

And then, she lunged at me, with her arm extended as if she intended on tearing my throat out.


	67. Chapter 10: Fire

**Chapter 10: Fire**

Luckily my instincts kicked in _before_ she could rip my throat open. I ducked and rolled out of her way and drew the power of fire to me. It wasn't hard to call on fire, considering anger was already burning through me. I grabbed my mom's arm and she gasped in pain. I felt heat spreading through my fingers and practically melting into her body. I was sure the heat felt much more intense for her than it did for me, but I wouldn't let go of her until she had crumpled to the ground, holding her arm. As I got a good look at it, I saw that her skin had turned a reddish colour, and what looked like blisters had formed on it.

Victoria and the blond boy looked at me with wide eyes and their jaws practically hanging open. Victoria was the first to recover from her shock and she smiled warmly at me. "That's quite a power you have there."

I didn't say anything. I could still feel fire present inside me. I mentally composed myself and called upon the other elements so I was ready to take Victoria on fully if she tried something. I glanced down at my mom to see her pulling herself to her feet. Her arm looked normal again, but she shot me a thunderous look and kept rubbing at it.

"So I guess asking you to join us won't be worth it," she snapped.

"You've tried that once with me already," I said. "It didn't work last time, it won't work this time." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Emmett inching his way around the clearing, remaining concealed from them in the trees. He was trying to get behind Victoria so he could grab her when the time was right. I needed to keep them busy and keep them talking.

"If you have nothing else to say to me, I'm gonna go," I said, pretending to turn away. I knew they wouldn't let me leave this easily.

"Tell her, Talissa," Victoria urged with a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Tell me what?" I asked, getting a terrible feeling in my gut.

My mom smiled menacingly at me and said, "You have a brother, you know—a twin brother, actually. When you two were born your father and I couldn't afford two children, so we decided to put him up for adoption and keep you instead."

"You're lying," I growled.

"I may not remember much from my human life, Melanie, but I do remember giving birth to both of you," she snapped. "His name is Ian."

"I don't believe you." But as she said it, I couldn't help but glance at the blond boy standing with them. Was that him? Was that my brother? He didn't really look like any member of my family. Would she lie and tell me that that was him?

She laughed and continued, "I tracked him down and turned him myself. I made sure I knew it was him first. I killed his adoptive parents while I was there too. I offered to let him join us, but he refused. He tried to attack me when he woke up."

"Yeah, I don't blame him," I said, feeling relief flood into me. It was bad enough having to fight my own mother—not that I really considered her a mother to me anymore, but still—but having to fight my own brother that I never even known about as well?

I felt like my head was spinning. How could my parents have hidden a brother from me all my life? How had all my other out-of-state relatives hid him from me too? Or had they even known about him? Had my parents told anyone about him or had they just given him up without a second thought?

"How did you decide to keep me instead of him?" I demanded.

She waved one of her hands in a bored way. "That's all in the past. I don't remember the finer details."

"You're insane," I whispered.

"Am I really?" she asked, smiling in a venomous way at me. "Or is it you who's insane? I can tell that somewhere deep inside, you believe every word that I'm saying—and believe me, I'm not using my power to convince you—and that makes you think you're going crazy. You can ask Victoria here, she saw me bite him."

"And what makes you think I'd believe _her_?" I spat, noticing that Emmett was just behind the first layer of trees directly behind Victoria. He cocked an eyebrow at me, telling me to give him a signal telling him when to grab her

"Well we didn't document the occasion so it's our word or nothing," my mom said, smiling wickedly again.

"Your word means _nothing_ to me," I snapped.

"That's a shame," my mom said, pretending to be distraught. I met Emmett's eyes for the briefest second and gave him the tiniest nod I could muster. I turned my attention back to my mom, knowing that at any second she'd spring at me because Emmett was going to grab Victoria.

"Are you really surprised, though, Mom?" I asked. "You just _attacked_ _me_. Why should I trust you?"

She opened her mouth to say something else, but Emmett sprang out of the forest and grabbed Victoria, stopping my mom from saying any more. Victoria screeched in fury and clawed at Emmett's massive arms but it was no use. My mom sprang at me but I rolled out of the way. However, I didn't plan that very well and rolled right into the path of the blond boy. He seized the opportunity and grabbed me by my neck, pushing me against a tree and locking me in place.

"Emmett, go, take her!" I yelled. I began working on building up fire inside of me to use against the blond boy, but I made sure he couldn't feel it. I dropped my hands to my sides and felt heat building in them. I would blast him off of me and then deal with my mom. "I—I can handle this."

"Can you, Melanie?" my mom asked, smile hinting at her lips. She turned back to Emmett and said, "If you leave with her I'll tell Riley here to kill Melanie."

I met Emmett's eyes and shook my head. Getting Victoria taken care of was the priority. I tried to mentally tell him to leave me here and not to worry but I noticed his grip loosen slightly on Victoria. She must have felt it as she started fighting harder against him. Emmett's grip tightened immediately and he looked at me again.

"I can't let you die, kid," he said gruffly, sounding resigned.

"No!" I shouted. For once I wished that Edward was here so he could read my mind and know what I was planning.

"What if I let her go?" Emmett demanded of my mom. "We'll all walk away from this unharmed?"

"Yes."

"What if I just snap her neck right now?" he asked.

"Then I'll tell Riley to do the same thing to Mel." She didn't meet my eyes but she motioned towards me. _Coward,_ I thought bitterly. She had basically just told Emmett she was going to have me killed without a second thought.

"Mel, we don't have a choice," Emmett said.

"Emmett, if you let her go, so help me God…"

"I have to!" he snapped. "I'm not gonna have your death on my hands."

"I can handle it!" I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not risking it!" he yelled. He looked at my mom for one last long second, and then dropped Victoria. Rage burned through me as I watched her bolt off.

My mom looked at Riley and me and then in a deadly quiet voice she said, "Kill her."

Riley's moment of surprised hesitation was enough for me. The heat that had been building in my hands became white hot and I pushed at him. What happened next was weird to say the least. I could actually _see_ the flames burst out of my hands. What was almost a wave of fire had engulfed Riley and he cried out in pain, falling to the ground in pure agony. My mom stared at me with wide eyes for a full minute and then took off after Victoria. I called fire back to me and Riley went back to normal. He was obviously still in pain but he lifted himself off the ground, shot me a scared look and then ran off.

"Mel, that was—"

I rounded on Emmett, feeling angrier than ever. "You idiot!" I exploded. "You let her get away! I had it under control! You saw how I just saved _my own _neck! I had been planning to do that all along!"

"And how was I supposed to know your mom wouldn't have attacked you while I was gone?" he demanded.

"She ran off like a scared puppy, Emmett! She wouldn't have stayed around after what I just did. She didn't know I could do that! Hell, _I _didn't even know I could do that!"

"And if your little plan backfired?" he shouted. "You neck would be snapped and your blood would be on my hands!"

"But we still would've had Victoria!"

"What on earth are you two shouting about?" came Alice's tinkling voice from the trees to our left.

"We had her," I said miserably, feeling my anger subside. I glanced over to where Alice's voice had come from to see Jasper and Esme standing with her. I glowered at Jasper and said, "Stop that. I want to be mad at him."

"Yeah, but Mel, I can tell your feeling particularly murderous right now, and as bad as Emmett can be sometimes, he's valuable," Jasper said.

"Yeah, and the way you're planning on killing him won't work. He'll run off before that happens," Alice said.

"Guys, I'm not seriously planning on killing Emmett," I said, then turned my glare back on him. "Although, it is a really tempting thought right now."

"Let's just get back to the house and talk over what happened," Esme suggested. "It'll give you both some time to cool off."

Jasper, Esme and Alice turned and began walking back to the house and Emmett and I followed behind, not saying a word to each other. Every so often out of the corner of my eye I'd catch him looking at me, and I'd glare at him in return. I was so angry! In the back of my mind I understood why Emmett had done it, but _we had had her_. She had been practically defenseless against Emmett and he had _let her go_ just to save my skin. I understood that he hadn't known what my plan was, but he should've trusted me!

But then my anger with Emmett seemed to melt away as I replayed the conversation between my mom and me in my head.

Was what she said true? Did I really have a brother? I didn't want to believe it but something in the back of my mind whispered that it was true. My mom had told me that he hadn't wanted to join her and Victoria, so he couldn't be all that bad, right?

Did he know about me? Had she told him that he had a sister? If she had told him, had she said it before or after she turned him? Would he even remember any mention my mom—no, sorry, _our_ mom—had made of me? If she had told him before she turned him he probably wouldn't remember.

Or, had she told him when he had tried to attack her? She told me that he had attacked her when he woke up from the transformation. Had she shocked him with the news of a sister to throw him off track and stop him from attacking her, giving her and Victoria enough time to escape?

And then the way my mom had so easily told Riley to kill me. That was bothering me a lot more than I was willing to admit. I had known that she didn't really care all that much about me anymore, but to be able to tell someone to kill me without even a moment's hesitation? That hurt.

I rubbed at my temples. This was all too much to deal with. I was tempted to just curl into a little ball once we got back to the Cullen house and sit there forever. But no, I couldn't. I had responsibilities and all that boring stuff.

We arrived at the Cullen house and went inside, tension filling the air.


End file.
